New Delhi: Ballon d’Or 2024 night experienced the biggest robbery as Brazil and Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior was snubbed for the top award. In place of Vini, Manchester City’s midfielder Rodri was named the 2024 Ballon d’Or winner following his outstanding performance during the 2023-24 season.
Read number 3 & tell me how you expect Vinicius Jr to win the Ballon d’Or??? pic.twitter.com/y03aq7Ob1V
— Troll Football (parody) (@Troll_Futballl) October 28, 2024
Rodri was given the prize for playing a crucial role for the Spanish national team, contributing to the team’s win at the 2024 Euros. Moreover, he helped his club secure the English Premier League title for the fourth consecutive time.
Eu farei 10x se for preciso. Eles não estão preparados.
— Vini Jr. (@vinijr) October 28, 2024
After Rodri won the award, the 24-year-old Vinicius, well known for his fight against racism in sport as much as his brilliant, match-winning performances on the football pitch, took to X and wrote:
I’ll do it 10x if I have to. They’re not ready….
While the exact reasons for the snubbing of the Real Madrid winger are not evident, there are reports which suggest that the Brazilian winger was sidelined based on the fair play quotient which is one of the parameters of Ballon d’Or and not on terms of on-field performances.
Ballon d’Or 2024 full List:
Below is the full list of winners of the Ballon d’Or
- Rodri (Spain, Manchester City) is the 2024 Men’s Ballon d’Or winner.
- Vinícius Júnior (Brazil, Real Madrid)
- Jude Bellingham (England, Real Madrid)
- Dani Carvajal (Spain, Real Madrid)
- Erling Haaland (Norway, Manchester City)
- Kylian Mbappé (France, Paris Saint-Germain / Real Madrid)
- Lautaro Martínez (Argentina, Inter)
- Lamine Yamal (Spain, Barcelona)
- Toni Kroos (Germany, Real Madrid)
- Harry Kane (England, Bayern Munich)
- Phil Foden (England, Manchester City)
- Florian Wirtz (Germany, Bayer Leverkusen)
- Dani Olmo (Spain, Leipzig / Barcelona)
- Ademola Lookman (Nigeria, Atalanta)
- Nico Williams (Spain, Athletic Club)
- Granit Xhaka (Switzerland, Bayer Leverkusen)
- Federico Valverde (Uruguay, Real Madrid)
- Emiliano Martínez (Argentina, Aston Villa)
- Martin Ødegaard (Norway, Arsenal)
- Hakan Çalhanoğlu (Turkey, Inter)
- Bukayo Saka (England, Arsenal)
- Antonio Rüdiger (Germany, Real Madrid)
- Rúben Dias (Portugal, Manchester City)
- William Saliba (France, Arsenal)
- Cole Palmer (England, Chelsea)
- Declan Rice (England, Arsenal)
- Vitinha (Portugal, Paris Saint-Germain)
- Alejandro Grimaldo (Spain, Bayer Leverkusen)
- Mats Hummels (Germany, Borussia Dortmund)
- Artem Dovbyk (Ukraine, Dnipro / Girona / Roma)