Contrary to expectations, the Ballon d’Or, the award given by France Football magazine to the best player in the world this season, went to Spanish midfielder Rodrigo Hernández, or Rodri, of Manchester City, not to the Brazilian striker of Real Madrid.
In recent days, several European media outlets had predicted that Vinicius, Real’s big name in winning the Champions League, would win, with a goal in the final. The club chartered a plane to take a delegation of 50 people to Paris for the trophy ceremony at the Châtelet, a historic 19th-century theater on the banks of the Seine.
Six hours before the event was due to start, news broke that the plane would not take off from the runway at Barajas airport. Real Madrid had canceled the trip, French radio station RMC, Spanish sports newspaper Marca and well-connected Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano reported almost simultaneously.
