On vacation. Vinicius shows how he recovers after matches and training

Real Madrid star Vinicius Junior spent some downtime at home during the 2025 Ballon d'Or ceremony. On his Instagram page, he shared how he recovers after the intense demands of training and matches.

• Read also: Sad statistics. Rodri becomes the first Ballon d'Or winner in history not to be nominated the following season

Vinicius posted a collage of two photos: in one, he's in the water — most likely an ice bath — and in the other, he appears to be sitting in a sauna. This routine is likely part of his post-exertion recovery process.

It's worth noting that, like the rest of the Real Madrid squad, Vinicius did not travel to Paris for the Ballon d'Or presentation. This traces back to last year's controversy, when Madrid's management staged a protest after learning the award would go to Rodri of Manchester City instead of the Brazilian. As a result, no Real Madrid players attended the ceremony that year.

This year, Vinicius finished only 16th in the voting, while Rodri didn't make the shortlist at all — a decision that's understandable, given the Spaniard missed almost the entire previous season due to injury.