A few days after FC Barcelona’s 4-0 victory over Real Madrid, Gavi made a public statement about the Ballon d’Or.
In that match, Gavi returned to the first team for the first time in nearly a year, coming on in the 87th minute while Barcelona was already ahead, thanks to goals from Lamine Yamal, Raphinha, and Robert Lewandowski. After replacing Pedri, Gavi had an animated exchange with Vinicius Junior, reminding him of the score by holding up four fingers. Vinicius replied, “Yes, yes, but on Monday, I will chase the Ballon d’Or.” Although he was nominated, Rodri of Manchester City won the award, while Real Madrid boycotted the ceremony, claiming Vinicius deserved it. Following the event, Vinicius expressed on social media in Portuguese, “Eu farei 10x se for preciso. Eles nao estao preparados,” which means, “I will do it 10 times if necessary. They are not ready.” Gavi congratulated Rodri, stating, “Congratulations, my friend. Well deserved.” Former Real Madrid player Clarence Seedorf also commented, suggesting there might be tension between Real and UEFA. He said, “I voted for Vinicius almost a year ago and believe he deserved this award,” adding that “the issues between Real Madrid and UEFA should not affect these decisions. It’s a shame.”
