Neymar aims thinly-veiled dig at Rodri

Neymar has aimed a dig at Rodri after the Manchester City midfielder urged Vinicius Jnr to 'pay attention on the field'.

Rodri was announced as the winner of the Ballon d'Or in Paris last month, with the Spain star scooping football's highest individual honour ahead of Vinicius Jnr.

There was controversy on the night as Real Madrid and their star Vinicius opted to boycott the ceremony after the Brazilian was snubbed.

Rodri, who will miss the remainder of the season through a knee injury, took aim at Vinicius in his latest interview in Spain.

The 28-year-old told El Larguero: 'Any call from Vinicius Jr after the Ballon d'Or? Yeah, a Facetime call… (laughs). No, nothing. We didn't speak.

'No messages from Real Madrid, they did not come to the gala so obviously it'd make no sense to text me after'.

Rodri added: 'I think Vini is a smart guy and with time he will realise that the more you pay attention on the field, the better you will be. Athletes are not just what they represent on the field, but also off it.'

Neymar, Vinicius' Brazilian team-mate, took notice of Rodri's interview and commented on Instagram: 'Now he is a talker' with a face palm and laughing emojis.

Rodri, who has been labelled a 'humble and kind' star, is the first defensive midfielder to win a Ballon d'Or.

Vinicius Jnr missed out on the prestigious prize despite having been hotly tipped for the honour, while Real Madrid teammate Jude Bellingham came third.

The Spanish giants grabbed headlines when the players and coaches decided to boycott the ceremony after learning Vinicius Jr would not be taking home the top honour.

The European champions had initially planned to send a delegation of 50 people to Paris, before scrapping the trip when reports emerged Rodri would win.

The 24-year-old took to social media after he was confirmed as the runner-up, writing on X: 'I will do it 10 times if I have to. They're not ready.'

According to Reuters, this comment was a reference to his fight against racism in recent years.

Sources at Real Madrid told ESPN Brazil that the snub was 'historic robbery'.

Marca also reported that Madrid insiders have furiously declared 'the Ballon d'Or no longer exists for us'.

A statement from Madrid to AFP said: 'If the award criteria doesn't give it to Vinicius as the winner, those same criteria should point to Carvajal as the winner.

'As this was not the case, it is clear that Ballon d'Or-UEFA does not respect Real Madrid. And Real Madrid does not go where it is not respected.'