Africa’s votes in favor of Vinicius

France Football magazine has officially published the votes of the different countries for this 2024 edition of the Ballon d’Or. While the controversy arose from Vinicius’ 2nd place in this ranking, which pushed Real Madrid to boycott the ceremony, in Africa, the majority of voters placed the Brazilian in first position, ahead of the Spaniard. Mainland voting details.

The suspense and above all the tension were palpable during this 2024 edition of the Ballon d’Or, ultimately marked by a narrow difference in votes between Rodri, ultimately winner, and Vinicius, his main rival. With 1,170 points, the Spaniard was ahead of the Brazilian by only 41 points, a result that made fans of the Real Madrid player cringe. His club had even shunned the ceremony at the last moment, obviously understanding that he would not be crowned. The minimal gap between the two finalists only reignited the debate, and in Africa, the trend was clearly in favor of Vinicius.

12 countries out of 22 for Vinicius, 6 for Rodri

France Football magazine revealed all of the jury’s votes this Saturday, in order to demonstrate transparency as usual. Of the 22 African journalists who took part in the vote (the top 100 nations in the FIFA rankings could vote), 12 placed Vinicius in first position, highlighting a marked preference for the Brazilian striker. Algeria, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Egypt, Guinea, Equatorial Guinea, Mali, Morocco, DR Congo and Senegal had chosen to support the Real player Madrid. Conversely, only six African journalists gave their first place to Rodri, confirming a geographical divide in the perception of favorites.

Read also : Golden Ball 2024: at the end of the controversy, Rodri crowned in front of Vinicius

For his part, Ademola Lookman, the only African player competing for this edition of the Ballon d’Or, finished in 14th place. Although he was not among the first, 13 African countries wanted to include him in their votes, often at the end of the top 10, demonstrating symbolic support for the Atalanta Bergamo winger. Nigeria were the most patriotic by placing Lookman at the top of their rankings, while Ivory Coast gave him a respectable 5th place. Support which once again demonstrates an attachment of African journalists to their local talents, even in the face of international stars.

African votes for the 2024 Ballon d’Or