Vinícius Júnior's plummet to 16th in the 2025 Ballon d'Or rankings wasn't a stumble; it was a freefall, a stark comedown from last year's runner-up heartbreak behind Rodri. The Real Madrid speedster, once the heir to Ronaldo's Bernabéu blaze, finds himself mired in mid-table obscurity amid a trophyless campaign that exposed frailties in football's glamour factory. At the Paris gala, as Dembélé ascended, Vini's slide—from second to 16th—sparked whispers of a "fall from grace," his 41-goal 2023-24 peak now a distant echo.
Last season's 22 goals and 19 assists screamed quality, but Madrid's barren run—no La Liga, no UCL (quarters exit to Arsenal)—soured the stats. Supercopa and Intercontinental Cup scraps couldn't mask the void; Vini's flair flickered in big nights, like a goalless semifinal ghosting. Off-field, racism rows and a perceived dip in work rate fueled narratives. "Talent alone isn't enough," Carlo Ancelotti admitted pre-ceremony. Bellingham (12th) and Mbappé (7th) outrank him, underscoring Madrid's uneven engine.
Vini's response? Defiant. "Numbers don't lie, but rankings do," he posted on Instagram, 10 million likes pouring in. Brazilian icons like Neymar backed him: "Kid's a beast—2026 is yours." Yet, at 25, questions loom:Form slump? Tactical mismatch? The drop—the worst since 2021—mirrors Madrid's rebuild woes post-Modrić era.Redemption beckons in La Liga's restart, but this 16th-place scar stings. From near-miss to afterthought, Vini's arc warns: Grace falls fast without glory.
Vini's response? Defiant. "Numbers don't lie, but rankings do," he posted on Instagram, 10 million likes pouring in. Brazilian icons like Neymar backed him: "Kid's a beast—2026 is yours." Yet, at 25, questions loom:Form slump? Tactical mismatch? The drop—the worst since 2021—mirrors Madrid's rebuild woes post-Modrić era.Redemption beckons in La Liga's restart, but this 16th-place scar stings. From near-miss to afterthought, Vini's arc warns: Grace falls fast without glory.
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