CAN'T VIN THEM ALL

Pep tells Real to leave their ego at the d'Or

- DAVID MCDONNELL

PEP Guardiola made a thinlydisguised dig at Real Madrid when asked about their decision to boycott the Ballon d'Or in protest at Vinicius Jr missing out on the top award.

Real snubbed the event because of their perceived injustice towards Vinicius, with the accolade going to Manchester City midfielder Rodri.

Although Real won team of the year and their boss Carlo Ancelotti scooped the coach of the year award, the club chose to stay away en masse from the lavish ceremony in Paris.

Asked about Real's snub, Guardiola pointed out that City striker Erling Haaland attended the 2023 ceremony even though he missed out on the top award, which went to Lionel Messi for the eighth time.