Sports
Vinicius Junior, Ballon d’Or disappointment and Real Madrid’s furious reaction
On Sunday, not even 24 hours after the heavy blow of losing El Clasico 4-0 to Barcelona at the Bernabeu, there was another seismic shift at Real Madrid.
From the highest levels of the club came the order to cancel Monday’s planned trip to Paris, where everyone was expecting, among other prizes, Vinicius Junior to win the Ballon d’Or.
Real Madrid were told that would not be the case, and that the winner would not be Dani Carvajal either. The defender, who won last summer’s Euros with Spain was Los Blancos’ other major candidate.
At the club’s offices, they argued that if Vinicius Jr did not win and they looked to the European Championship, Carvajal would have to be ahead of the rest, including another Madrid player, England’s Jude Bellingham.
But neither Vinicius Jr nor Carvajal would ultimately lift the trophy, prompting indignation and anger in Madrid. As a result, no one from the club was present at the event to see Rodri, another of Spain’s Euros winners but a star for Premier League champions Manchester City, crowned the world’s best footballer for 2023-24.
Here, The Athletic takes you inside a horrible 48 hours for Vinicius Jr and Madrid.
No one at Real Madrid expected this outcome.
More than in previous years, much effort was made to maintain secrecy and to avoid the identities of the award winners from leaking. Interviews and photoshoots that used to take place before the ceremony were delayed until afterwards.
While some reports in Spain indicated Vinicius Jr would be named the winner for the first time, The Athletic reported on Monday that neither Real Madrid, Vinicius Jr nor most of those who work at France Football (the publication which created the award) knew the winner.
Previously, there had been complete confidence in Madrid that Vinicius Jr would lift the trophy.
“I think he’s going to win the Ballon d’Or because of what he has done last year, which helped us win the Champions League, not because of the three goals today,” Carlo Ancelotti said on Tuesday after the 24-year-old’s hat-trick inspired his team to a comeback victory over Borussia Dortmund.
That hope was partly a consolation, a painkiller for the home drubbing by Barcelona on Saturday, a result which took Hansi Flick’s side six points clear at the top of La Liga.
On Sunday morning, however, Vinicius Jr was informed he would not win the Ballon d’Or. It was a shock for him and all those around him, even though in the weeks leading up to it they always maintained they did not know what would happen.
The player and his staff had prepared in detail for the trip, with around 30 companions due to travel, including people from his agency, family and friends. Some of his guests had travelled from Brazil expressly for this purpose. An after-party was also planned for the event on Monday.
Multiple sources who, like others in this article, wished to remain anonymous to protect relationships, have told The Athletic that Nike, Vinicius Jr’s main sporting sponsor, had prepared special boots to celebrate an eventual victory. In addition, they had organised an event in Madrid which the footballer, people close to him and influencers were due to attend. Nike has been contacted for comment.
Vinicius Jr celebrates after scoring his team’s second goal in last season’s Champions League final (Ina Fassbender/AFP via Getty Images)
For hours on Sunday, there were moments of tension and a long wait for a decision on what to do. Finally, the Real Madrid board decided that there would be no trip to Paris. All parties agreed it was the best approach after envisaging the images of disappointment in Paris, where they would have gone with every hope that Vinicius Jr would be the winner. In addition, the lack of communication from France Football, either with the club or with the player, had annoyed Madrid.
As Sunday afternoon turned to evening, many more people, including Ancelotti, were informed by the club that they would not be travelling, despite the fact a delegation of around 50 people was scheduled to do so. That order came from the top.
At a very difficult time, Vinicius Jr was comforted by the fact that the whole club was in agreement about not travelling. As soon as the news reached his team-mates, they sent him numerous messages of encouragement, as they would do publicly after the gala.
The clearest came from Eduardo Camavinga: “FOOTBALL POLITICS. My brother you are the best player in the world and no award can say otherwise. Love you my bro,” the player wrote on X.
At one point it was envisaged that Emilio Butragueno, director of institutional relations, would travel, but this was finally ruled out on Monday as well. It meant Real Madrid had no one there to collect their award for men’s club of the year, and no one to accept when Ancelotti was named men’s coach of the year.
“It is not good for football that a club as important as Madrid and with so many fans worldwide is not present at such a gala,” Spain coach Luis de la Fuente told Movistar.
“I was surprised, yes, because I had spoken to someone from Real Madrid who said they were going to come here at 13:30 and suddenly I’m in the hotel and I’m surprised by the news,” Luis Figo, Los Blancos legend and a Ballon d’Or winner, told Movistar.
There was a clue on Monday morning for the more attentive ones: surprisingly, Real Madrid TV would be showing a film at the same time as the Ballon d’Or gala. The club’s website and social media would also make no mention of any of the awards received.
Shortly before 3pm, Real Madrid privately reported that the growing rumours were true.
“If the award criteria do not proclaim Vinicius Jr the winner, those same criteria should proclaim Carvajal the winner,” a club source told The Athletic. “As this has not been the case, it is obvious that the UEFA Ballon d’Or does not respect Real Madrid. And Real Madrid is not where it is not respected.”
Minutes later, people from Vinicius Jr’s agency confirmed to The Athletic that they were in Madrid after being informed by the club and that they would not be travelling to Paris.
Club sources explained they had found out because Manchester City knew Rodri would be the winner, although sources briefed on the process assure The Athletic that the information did not come from the English club.
Real Madrid were quick to point out that the name of the award is “Ballon d’Or-UEFA”, given European football’s governing body is involved in the organistion of the event. The club and UEFA have been at odds since Madrid’s involvement in a proposed European Super League.
“I think there are problems between Real Madrid and UEFA, which affected some things in the results,” former Madrid midfielder Clarence Seedorf told TNT Sports on the red carpet in Paris. “Vinicius Junior is the one who definitely deserves the award. It is a shame.“
It is worth noting that the award is decided on the basis of a vote by 100 journalists.
As the afternoon wore on, the law of silence was established at Vinicius Jr’s camp. Members of the team were asked not to speak to the press for a while.
However, at 6.30pm, a friend of Vinicius Jr’s gave the first public reaction.
“But this award not going into your hands only shows the mentality of those who are afraid of our presence,” wrote singer MC Maneirinho, receiving likes from other friends and agency members. From Valdebebas, something else was also highlighted: the audience at the event shouted Vinicius Jr’s name in the seconds before Rodri’s name was called out as the winner.
The day left Real Madrid and Vinicius Jr with one main question: what else does he have to do to lift the Ballon d’Or?
Winning the Champions League (involved in 11 goals in 10 games, including one in the final), La Liga (involved in 21 goals in 26 games, one every 89 minutes on average) and the Spanish Super Cup (hat-trick in the final against Barcelona) was not enough. So what would be?
(Top photo: Getty Images; design: John Bradford)
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The wait is officially over. The FIFA World Cup has arrived.
For the first time ever, three nations—the United States, Mexico, and Canada are co-hosting the tournament. It is also the largest FIFA World Cup in history, expanding to a 48-team field. Squads from around the world have arrived in North America with one ultimate goal: capturing the iconic World Cup trophy.
Here’s the latest look at some of the most notable news surrounding the World Cup.
June 12:
Official Injury Update On Neymar
Brazilian star Neymar Jr. will officially miss Brazil’s opening match against Morocco on Saturday. Neymar was named to Brazil’s 2026 FIFA World Cup squad despite a calf injury, and now won’t be available early on. Manager Carlo Ancelotti said that “Neymar is working very hard to recover as quickly as possible.
“The expectation is that he will recover and rejoin the group next week.”
Google Doodle Has World Cup Fever
In case fans didn’t already have World Cup fever, they can open their web browser.
Google is officially ready for USA’s opener against Paraguay, as the home page features a custom, USA-themed Google Doodle.
The Doodle features red text with a blue outline, as well as a soccer ball along with an interchanging USA crest replacing the “O’s” in Google.
James Cordon Stretches With Christian Pulisic
James Corden joined Christian Pulisic and the United States men’s national team for a training session ahead of their World Cup opener against Paraguay.
After meeting with head coach Mauricio Pochettino and going through a film session with the players, Corden and Co. hit the pitch for practice, where he helped serve as a water boy.
Corden tried to help Pulisic stretch out his legs after practice before he was stopped by a member of the coaching staff. As Corden walked off, Pulisic sprayed him with a water bottle.
DR Congo Arrives to the World Cup in Style
The DR Congo men’s national team isn’t set to play until Wednesday, June 17, against Portugal in Group K, but they’ve already made a statement upon arrival in Houston, Texas.
The squad arrived in style, stepping off the plane in striking black, jaguar-inspired outfits that quickly turned heads. The bold look fits their nickname, Les Léopards, and sets the tone for their World Cup presence before they even face Portugal.
DR Congo may be heavy underdogs, but they’re already winning where it counts off the pitch, taking the fashion battle before kickoff.
Canada’s Jesse Marsch Takes Dig At USA
The Canadian men’s national team is set to face Bosnia and Herzegovina on Friday afternoon. Ahead of the match, head coach Jesse Marsch took a subtle jab at the United States men’s national team during his remarks on Thursday.
“In the U.S., we had to beg players to sing the national anthem,” Marsch said.
The United States conducted a months-long search for a new head coach in 2023, with Marsch emerging as the frontrunner and making it clear he wanted the job. Instead, they chose to rehire Gregg Berhalter, a decision that may have left Marsch with some lingering resentment.
Marsch’s subtle jab could take on added stakes if the United States and Canada meet during the FIFA World Cup. The two nations could potentially face off as early as the Round of 32 or the Round of 16.
June 11:
The pressure of competing in the 2026 FIFA World Cup is high, but that hasn’t stopped players from enjoying some downtime with their teammates. Norway star Erling Haaland was spotted at the Stanley Cup Final between the Vegas Golden Knights and the Carolina Hurricanes.
Haaland appeared to be enjoying himself as the Hurricanes secured a Game 5 victory, taking a 3-2 series lead over the Golden Knights. The Manchester City striker drew plenty of attention from fans in attendance as he took in the action from the stands.
The Norway star was seen celebrating in the stands before turning his attention back to international duty, with Norway set to face Iraq in Group 1 play on Tuesday, June 16.
Australia Coach Popovic Signs Extension
Australia coach Tony Popovic has signed a contract extension through early 2027 on the eve of his team’s World Cup opening match against Turkey on Saturday.
Football Australia said Friday that the 52-year-old Popovic’s deal now extends through the Asian Cup, which will take place in January and early February in Saudi Arabia.
The former Australia international was hired in September 2024 and led the Socceroos to qualification for the 48-team tournament.
“I’m proud to lead my country into a World Cup, but most importantly, I want to ensure that our team is fully prepared and focused on our group matches against Turkey, the United States, and Paraguay,” he said of Australia’s opponents in Group D.
Canada Captain Sidelined For Opening Match
Canada’s captain and star defender Alphonso Davies will miss Canada’s World Cup opener against Bosnia and Herzegovina. Davies’ status has been questionable due to an ACL tear and other injuries during the club season, which limited Davies to appearing in two of Canada’s last 21 games.
Davies is one of the co-host’s more valuable players in terms of talent and experience, including 58 appearances in nine years with the national team. However, Davies’ injury does not rule him out of the entire tournament. His injury update and restraint from the opening match serves as a caution to heal his injury as the group stage unfolds.
After playing for the Vancouver Whitecaps in the MLS, Davies transferred to Bayern Munich, where he’s played since 2019. Canada is set to play Bosnia and Herzegovina on June 12, followed by Qatar on June 18 and Switzerland on June 24.
Captain Wataru Endo Withdraws From World Cup
Just ahead of Japan’s opening match against the Netherlands on June 14, captain and midfielder Wataru Endo has withdrawn his name from Japan’s World Cup squad and paired it with his national team retirement, per his statement on X. Endo has been dealing with an ongoing ankle/foot injury since February.
Endo has played for the Japan national team for over a decade, where he made 73 appearances and scored four goals. As a veteran anchor in the midfield, Endo has also served as Japan’s captain since their previous World Cup in 2022, where they reached the Round of 16.
As for Endo’s professional career, he first played for Shanon Bellmare from 2010-15, followed by the Urawa Red Diamonds from 2016-19, VfB Stuttgart from 2019-23 and has played for Liverpool FC since 2023. With Liverpool, Endo played a prominent role in the team’s Carabao Cup victory in 2024.
With Endo out, Japan has officially called Borussia Mönchengladbach midfielder Shuto Machino to join the 26-man roster. Machino is entering his second World Cup and his fifth year with the Japan national team.
Marco Senesi Called Up To 26-Man Roster
Following the injury of defender Leonardo Balerdi, Argentina has officially called up defender Marcos Senesi to the 26-man roster. Argentina is set to open their World Cup campaign on June 16 against Algeria.
Senesi has been training prior in case of a last-minute call-up, and was named to the roster after Balerdi’s muscle injury was ruled out. Senesi has played professionally since 2016, playing for clubs like San Lorenzo, Feyenoord, AFC Bournemouth and is currently with Tottenham Hotspur.
Joining Senesi in the back are defenders Lisandro Martínez, Nicolás Otamendi and Cristian Romero.
In what’s likely to be Lionel Messi’s last World Cup, Argentina will look to repeat their historic 2022 World Cup win this tournament.
Tyler Adams, USA Celebrate Shocking Knicks’ W
Tyler Adams, United States’ midfielder, is a fan of the National Basketball Association’s New York Knicks. The Knicks are in the NBA Finals, on the eve of the start of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, so members of the United States’ squad gathered together to watch what turned out to be the largest NBA Finals comeback in history, with the Knicks coming out on top.
When New York won, the room erupted, with Adams especially going wild. And we know this because the reaction was caught on camera in the moment.
That couch is destroyed, but at least no one watching the game ended up as damaged as it did after Adams went climbing and kicking all over it! If the United States ends up having a major comeback or win in the World Cup, maybe keep the players away from any obstacles like that, though. Just to be safe.
Morocco Loses 2 Players To Injury Before World Cup
Morocco replaced two injured players in its World Cup squad ahead of an opening game against Brazil, including star winger Abde Ezzalzouli.
FIFA confirmed late Wednesday that former Barcelona player Ezzalzouli and Marseille defender Nayef Aguerd were withdrawn from the Morocco squad for the tournament.
Ezzalzouli helped Real Betis qualify for next season’s Champions League and was a potential breakout star at the World Cup. Aguerd was a cornerstone of Morocco’s historic semifinals team at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
They were replaced by Amine Sbai of French club Angers and Marwane Saadane, who plays in Saudi Arabia for Al Fateh.
Morocco opens against Brazil on Saturday at MetLife Stadium near New York, then plays Scotland on June 19 near Boston and finishes Group C against Haiti on June 24 in Atlanta.
Ezzalzouli injured his right knee in a warmup game against Norway last weekend, though initial tests suggested he could be retained in coach Mohamed Ouahbi’s squad to play in the knockout rounds.
Surprise World Cup Comeback For Austrian Midfielder
The last time Dejan Ljubicic played for Austria was nearly three years ago. Now a teammate’s injury has given him a surprise comeback at the World Cup.
Austria coach Ralf Rangnick called up Ljubicic late Wednesday to replace key midfielder Christoph Baumgartner, who injured his right thigh while warming up for a pre-World Cup friendly against Tunisia last week and needed surgery.
Ljubicic is set to join Austria at the team camp in Santa Barbara on Thursday, ahead of the team’s first game on Tuesday against Jordan. Austria also plays Argentina and Algeria in Group J.
He’s more of a defensive midfield option than Baumgartner, who scored 17 goals in all competitions for Leipzig in Germany last season and has remained in camp to support the team.
Ljubicic also plays in Germany on the Schalke team which secured promotion from the second division last month.
Ljubicic has nine games for Austria but none at a major tournament. His last appearance was in a friendly against Moldova in September 2023, and he wasn’t in the squad for any World Cup qualifiers.
CHICAGO — Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani was out of the lineup Friday against the White Sox after exiting the game before with discomfort in the back of his left knee.
Manager Dave Roberts said Ohtani had imaging done on the knee and showed “the normal wear and tear.”
“He feels fine-ish,” said Roberts, who hopes Ohtani will be back in the lineup this weekend. Ohtani remains in line to make his next pitching start on Wednesday against the Tampa Bay Rays at Dodger Stadium.
Especially at this point in the season, the Dodgers have incentive to play it safe with Ohtani’s recovery. Pushing him to return early and exacerbating the injury would be a larger blow to a team seeking its third straight World Series championship.
With Ohtani out, left fielder Alex Call was in the leadoff spot, and Santiago Espinal served as the designated hitter.
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With the largest World Cup field in the history of the tournament, 32 of the 48 teams will be fighting for a spot in the knockout stage.
66.6% of nations will advance out of the group stage this summer, which is a massive upgrade from 50% in past World Cups. Because of this, sportsbooks have adjusted with less favorable odds.
Prior to the start of the tournament, Spain, Argentina, Brazil, England, and Germany entered with the strongest odds to advance from the group stage, supported by recent major-tournament success and talent-rich rosters.
All five nations are heavily favored at -10000 to advance to the knockout round.
The Spaniards are the defending European Champions while the Argentinians are looking to win back-to-back titles. Germany has not made it out of the group stage in the last two World Cups, but has always been a perennial contender— having won four titles in its history. And then of course there’s Brazil, which has more titles than any country with five.
Now, after the conclusion of the first day of the World Cup, Mexico has joined the group at the top. El Tri has surged to -10000 to advance to the knockout stage after initially being just -1400. Mexico’s huge leap up the oddsboard is a direct result of its dominating 2-0 win over South Africa.
With that in mind, let’s dive into the odds for each team to advance to the knockout stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup as of June 12.
This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners. If you sign up or place a wager, FOX Sports may be compensated. Read more about Sports Betting on FOX Sports.
Odds to Advance to Knockout Stage
Spain: -10000 (bet $10 to win $10.10 total)
Argentina: -10000 (bet $10 to win $10.10 total)
Brazil: -10000 (bet $10 to win $10.10 total)
England: -10000 (bet $10 to win $10.10 total)
Mexico: -10000 (bet $10 to win $10.10 total)
Germany: -10000 (bet $10 to win $10.10 total)
Portugal: -5000 (bet $10 to win $10.20 total)
France: -5000 (bet $10 to win $10.20 total)
Belgium:-3500 (bet $10 to win $10.29 total)
South Korea: -2500 (bet $10 to win $10.40 total)
Switzerland: -1800 (bet $10 to win $10.56 total)
Netherlands: -1400 (bet $10 to win $10.71 total)
Morocco: -1000 (bet $10 to win $11 total)
Colombia: -1000 (bet $10 to win $11 total)
Uruguay: -1000 (bet $10 to win $11 total)
Canada: -1000 (bet $10 to win $11 total)
Ecuador: -900 (bet $10 to win $11.11 total)
Norway: -900 (bet $10 to win $11.11 total)
United States: -750 (bet $10 to win $11.33 total)
The U.S. men’s national team is currently -750 to advance from Group D (Photo by Omar Vega/USSF/Getty Images).
Croatia: -500 (bet $10 to win $12 total)
Austria: -500 (bet $10 to win $12 total)
Türkiye: -500 (bet $10 to win $12 total)
Ivory Coast: -500 (bet $10 to win $12 total)
Japan: -500 (bet $10 to win $12 total)
Egypt: -340 (bet $10 to win $12.94 total)
Algeria: -310 (bet $10 to win $13.23 total)
Scotland: -310 (bet $10 to win $13.23 total)
Senegal: -230 (bet $10 to win $14.35 total)
Sweden: -230 (bet $10 to win $1435 total)
Bosnia and Herzegovina: -220 (bet $10 to win $14.55 total)
Paraguay: -205 (bet $10 to win $14.88 total)
Iran: -200 (bet $10 to win $15 total)
Czechia: -165 (bet $10 to win $16.06 total)
Ghana: -140 (bet $10 to win $17.14 total)
Australia: -110 (bet $10 to win $19.09 total)
DR Congo: +100 (bet $10 to win $20 total)
Raúl Jiménez helped propel Mexico to a 2-0 win over South Africa in the opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup (Photo by Yair Gonzalez/Jam Media/Getty Images).
Saudi Arabia: +105 (bet $10 to win $20.50 total)
Tunisia: +140 (bet $10 to win $24 total)
New Zealand: +150 (bet $10 to win $25 total)
Uzbekistan: +180 (bet $10 to win $28 total)
Cape Verde: +200 (bet $10 to win $30 total)
Panama: +200 (bet $10 to win $30 total)
Qatar: +275 (bet $10 to win $37.50 total)
South Africa: +320 (bet $10 to win $42 total)
Jordan +350 (bet $10 to win $45 total)
Iraq: +450 (bet $10 to win $55 total)
Haiti: +800 (bet $10 to win $90 total)
Curaçao: +1000 (bet $10 to win $110 total)
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