With Real Madrid’s Liga and Champions League double champion Vinicius Junior was regarded as the favorite, Ballon d’Or’s Rodri choice was unexpected.
The midfielder for Manchester City and Spain, Rodri, received the Ballon d’Or on Monday following a stellar season in which he won awards for both his club and his nation. In addition to receiving Player of the Tournament at Euro 2024 as Spain won in Germany, the 28-year-old was instrumental in helping Manchester City win the Premier League for the fourth time in a row last season.
The French magazine France Football, along with UEFA, arranged an event in Paris where Rodri accepted the award. Consequently, he became the first Premier League player to win a championship since Cristiano Ronaldo did so in 2008 while playing for Manchester United for the first time. In addition, he became the first Spanish male player to win the trophy since former Barcelona player Luis Suárez did it in 1960.
“A very special day, for me, my family and my country,” added Rodri. “I am aware that people don’t know me well because I don’t utilize social media. I’m simply an ordinary man. Both the sport and my job are enjoyable to me. And I make an effort to be a decent person. I’m a really composed individual.
After suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury during Manchester City’s 2-2 draw with Arsenal last month, the Spaniard, who accepted the trophy while on crutches, is probably going to miss the whole of the 2024–25 campaign.
After leading her team to an unprecedented continental quadruple of trophies and winning the Nations League with her nation, Barcelona and Spain star Aitana Bonmati previously won her second consecutive women’s Ballon d’Or.
The Ballon d’Or decision, however, came as a surprise with Real Madrid’s Liga and Champions League double winner Vinicius Junior widely seen as the favourite. The Brazilian, who refused to travel to Paris for the ceremony after getting to know that he did not win the award, finished second in the voting, while fellow Madrid star Jude Bellingham took the third spot.
The turmoil started hours before the presentation when Madrid stated that his teammate Dani Carvajal should be considered the deserving backup if Vinicius was not selected for the coveted award.
Carvajal scored, like the Brazilian, as the team defeated Borussia Dortmund 2-0 at Wembley in the Champions League final.
In 39 games in all competitions, Vinicius helped Real Madrid to three crowns last season with 24 goals and 11 assists.
“If the award criteria doesn’t give it to Vinicius as the winner, then those same criteria should point to Carvajal as the winner,” Real Madrid stated to AFP.
“It is evident that Ballon d’Or-UEFA does not respect Real Madrid since this was not the case. Furthermore, Real Madrid avoids situations in which it is not recognized.
Madrid boycotted the ceremony, despite having eight nominations for all the categories, including Kylian Mbappe, a recent addition. Nonetheless, Carlo Ancelotti was named coach of the year, and the Spanish powerhouses were recognized with the men’s team of the year honor.
