Finnish journalist Juha Kanerva has resigned from the Ballon d’Or jury after leaving Real Madrid’s Vinícius Júnior out of his top 10 rankings.
The Ballon d’Or sees journalists vote for the players they believe had the best performances over the past season. This year’s results sparked controversy, particularly after Manchester City’s Rodri claimed the men’s award ahead of Vinícius, who finished second.
Vinícius had been widely expected to win the prestigious prize, having played a key role in helping Real Madrid secure both the La Liga and Champions League titles.
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On Saturday, a list of journalists who had excluded Vinícius from their top 10 was made public. In response to being named on the list, Kanerva admitted his mistake and tweeted: “My technical error. I will resign from the Ballon d’Or jury.”