Finnish journalist Juha Kanerva has resigned from the Ballon d’Or jury after failing to include Real Madrid’s Vinicius Jr. in his top 10 players for the award.
The Ballon d’Or voting process involves several journalists selecting their top performers from the past season. This year’s voting sparked controversy when Manchester City’s Rodri won the men’s award, with Vinicius finishing in second place.
Vinicius had been widely expected to claim the top honor after playing a key role in Real Madrid’s victories in La Liga and the Champions League. On Saturday, a list of journalists who had excluded Vinicius from their top 10 was revealed.
In response to being named as one of the journalists who overlooked Vinicius, Kanerva commented on the issue.
“My technical error. I will resign from the Ballon d’Or jury.”