Danilo Díaz, Chilean journalist and Ballon d'Or voter, has shared his reasons for excluding Vinicius Jr. and Jude Bellingham from his top 3 in this year’s voting. Díaz explained that, in his view, both players did not perform notably in key international competitions, a factor that significantly influenced his decision.

"I left Vinicius Jr. and Jude Bellingham out of my top 3 because they had very poor international tournaments," Díaz commented. "Vinicius lost 17 balls against Costa Rica," he added, highlighting one of the performances he found lacking from the Brazilian on the international stage.

This statement has sparked debate in the football community, especially regarding the criteria some voters apply for the prestigious award.