Brazil’s head coach, Dorival Júnior, spoke up for Vinícius Jr. amidst the Ballon d'Or controversy, saying there was a "mistake by those who judged," as, in his words, "speaking individually," the Real Madrid forward "was the most important, decisive, and maybe even lethal player" of the season.

In a press conference on Wednesday ahead of Brazil’s World Cup 2026 qualifying match against Venezuela, the Canarinha coach addressed comments by Monaco’s Vanderson, also with the Brazilian squad, who stated that "the true winner" of the award was Vinícius Júnior.

The Real Madrid star, who has been confirmed as a starter for Brazil against Venezuela, missed out on the prestigious award after receiving fewer votes than Spain’s Rodri. Dorival urged everyone to move on, noting that, in his opinion, Vinícius's biggest achievement is "earning the respect of the Brazilian people." He added that Vinícius is a player who "reinvents himself constantly," who "has been through tough situations" in his career, yet has never lost his "status as a top player."

The five-time world champs face Venezuela in Maturín on Thursday for the eleventh match of the World Cup qualifiers, and next Tuesday, they’ll go up against Uruguay in Salvador.