The 2025 Ballon d’Or ceremony left plenty of headlines, from the winners themselves to the clubs celebrating their players’ achievements. Yet one of the most striking reactions came from Real Betis, who congratulated Ousmane Dembélé on winning the award while simultaneously taking a subtle jab at Vinícius Jr. with a post full of irony.

What Did Betis Post on Social Media?

On their official English X (Twitter) account, Betis shared a message right after Dembélé was crowned Ballon d’Or winner:

“Admin farei 10x se for preciso. Eles nao estao preparados.”

The phrase was quickly interpreted as a parody of Vinícius Jr., echoing a memorable message he himself had posted in 2024 when he finished second in the voting behind Rodri. At the time, Vinícius expressed frustration with a very similar statement, insisting he would try again and that “the world was not ready.”

Why Did the Troll Hit Hard?

The Betis post struck a nerve because it came at a difficult moment for the Real Madrid forward, who failed to make the Ballon d’Or top 10 this year. That was a stark contrast to 2024, when he narrowly missed out on the trophy and chose not to attend the gala in protest.

By congratulating Dembélé while referencing Vinícius’s past words, Betis not only joined the wave of jokes that still follow the Brazilian but also reinforced the biting tone and rivalries that often dominate Spanish football’s social media scene.