Manchester City’s master Rodri received the Ballon d’Or, football’s most prestigious award, at the Chatelet Theater in Paris on Monday, October 28. Real Madrid’s superstar Vinicius Jr. is the overwhelming favorite for the award. came second. Real Madrid duo Jude Bellingham and Dani Carvajal took third and fourth place.

Shock in Paris: Beats Rodri Vinicius Jr. to win 2024 Ballon d’Or

2024 Ballon d’Or Favorite Was Vinicius Jr.

Real Madrid left winger Vinicius Jr. has had an explosive season in 2023-24. With Karim Benzema gone, Vinicius Jr. He emerged as a leader on offense. He brought on defenders, looked for teammates in better positions, stepped back when he lost the ball, and forced fans to cheer louder when the team was struggling.

Vinicius Jr. has made 39 appearances in all competitions for the club throughout the 2023-24 season, scoring 24 goals and providing 11 assists. His heroics helped Real Madrid to the La Liga title, the UEFA Champions League trophy and the Supercopa de Espana. The well-heeled Brazilian scored in Madrid’s 2-0 win over Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League final and scored a hat-trick in the 4-1 Super Cup final win over Barcelona.

Everyone expected Vinicius Jr. to win his first Ballon d’Or thanks to the season he had. But just hours before the ceremony, rumors began to circulate that Manchester City midfielder Rodri would be given a place in the top tier. Prominent journalist Fabrizio Romano reported: real Madrid He canceled his trip to Paris after learning that Vinicius Jr. would not give his acceptance speech.

Rodri Gets a Deserving Win

Although Vinicius Jr. While he has every right to expect a win on Monday, Rodri was certainly not an undeserving winner. The Spaniard is the best in the world in his position; The engine of Pep Guardiola’s mighty Manchester City. He sets the tempo of the game, makes defence-piercing passes and has the ability to score decisive goals. All of his world-class attributes have been on display for the Cityzens throughout the 2023-24 season. He played 50 matches in all competitions for the club, scoring nine goals and providing 14 assists. Rodri emerged as one of City’s best players and became the first team in history to win four consecutive Premier League titles.

Rodri’s performances at City were exemplary, but they did not earn him the Ballon d’Or award. His world-class performance for Spain at the 2024 European Championship saw a defensive midfielder win a forward-dominated award. Rodri was the metronome for Luis de la Fuente’s Spain at EURO 2024, contributing invaluable performances that would propel them to continental glory. UEFA recognized his heroism and named him Player of the Tournament after Spain beat England 2-1 in the final.

Real Madrid star Vinicius Jr. Responds After Ballon d’Or Rejection

Shortly after France Football awarded Rodri the Ballon d’Or award, Vinicius Jr. Switched to X (formerly Twitter). There was a hint of pain in his expression, showing that he wasn’t getting the recognition he deserved for his performances.

He wrote (translated):

“I’ll do it 10 times if necessary. they are not ready.”

Vinicius Jr. went above and beyond to help Real Madrid win the most important trophies last season. However, his performance for Brazil in the 2024 Copa America left much to be desired. Historically, the Ballon d’Or has prioritized international competitions over club tournaments. Rodri understandably got the better of him, as Vinicius Jr. failed to score 2 goals in the Copa in 3 games before Brazil’s exit from the QF.

Fortunately, the 24-year-old football player has his best years ahead of him. If he can keep his head down and learn from setbacks, the sky may be the limit for a world-class winger.