Not more than 24 hours ago, Vinicius Junior appeared to be the undisputed favourite to seal the Ballon d’Or trophy.
But drama unfolded in the hours heading up to the gala, as various news outlets started to report that Rodri had pipped Vinicius for the prestigious title.
The likes of Fabrizio Romano and ESPN soon joined the bandwagon, confirming that Real Madrid are aware of the winner and are thus not attending the Ballon d’Or event.
With the countdown already underway, Real Madrid are still absent from the event, in protest of Rodri’s triumph over Vinicius.
Real Madrid informed of two triumphs
Although it appears Rodri might indeed win the Ballon d’Or tonight, the committee has informed Real Madrid that the club have still bagged two accolades on the night.
According to El Chiringuito, It appears Los Blancos have won Club of the Year while Carlo Ancelotti has been voted as the Manager of the Year.
This is hardly a surprise as Los Blancos had notably sealed their 15th UEFA Champions League title last season by beating Borussia Dortmund in the final.
Ancelotti, meanwhile, secured his second Champions League title in just three years while he also guided Real Madrid to a league title.
Real Madrid, though, remain unhappy and are still unlikely to attend the Ballon d’Or gala. The club are still enraged by the Vinicius snub, and unless something unexpected happens, there is a far chance Real Madrid will be unrepresented in the event.