NEW DELHI: On October 28, 2024, Rodri, the midfielder for Manchester City and Spain, received the coveted Ballon d’Or in a decision that stunned many. An important milestone in Rodri’s career was reached when his outstanding performance throughout the previous season was acknowledged at the ceremony, which took place at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris.
The 28-year-old Rodri was instrumental in Manchester City’s victories and helped the team win the Premier League for the fourth time in a row. He proceeded to put on impressive performances for the Spanish national team, winning Player of the Tournament at Euro 2024 and helping Spain win in Germany. With this achievement, he became the second Spanish male player to win the Ballon d’Or since Luis Suárez in 1960 and the first Premier League player to do so since Cristiano Ronaldo in 2008.
Rodri thanked everyone during his award speech, stating, “A very special day, for me, my family, and my country.” “I understand that because I have no social media, people don’t know me much,” he said, acknowledging his low profile. I’m simply an ordinary man. Both the sport and my job are enjoyable to me. I also make an effort to be a decent person.
Real Madrid Boycott
But the evening was tainted by controversy surrounding Real Madrid, whose player Vinicius Junior was considered the front-runner for the prize after leading the team to a Champions League and Liga double. Due to misunderstandings about Vinicius’s chances of winning, Vinicius, teammates Jude Bellingham, Dani Carvajal, and Coach Carlo Ancelotti did not attend the ceremony.
Real Madrid indicated hours before the event that Carvajal should be regarded as a respectable substitute in case Vinicius was passed over. “If the award criteria doesn’t give it to Vinicius as the winner, then those same criteria should point to Carvajal as the winner,” the organization said. According to Real Madrid, “As this was not the case, it is clear that the Ballon d’Or-UEFA does not respect Real Madrid.” Their absence revealed a lack of respect.
Despite their boycott, Ancelotti was chosen coach of the year and Madrid was recognized as the men’s team of the year. However, after guiding her team to a record continental quadruple, Barcelona’s Aitana Bonmati won the women’s Ballon d’Or for the second time in a row, highlighting the disparity between the clubs and the performances of their players.