Rodri wins Ballon d’Or after Vinicius Junior snub

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Manchester Metropolis and Spain midfielder Rodri, on Monday, was awarded the Ballon d’Or after a formidable season the place he picked up silverware for each membership and nation. The 28-year-old performed an inspiring position in Manchester Metropolis profitable a fourth consecutive Premier League title final season and was named Participant of the Match at Euro 2024 as Spain emerged triumphant in Germany.

Manchester Metropolis’s Spanish midfielder Rodri receives the Ballon d’Or award throughout the 2024 Ballon d’Or France Soccer award ceremony on the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris on October 28, 2024. (Photograph by FRANCK FIFE / AFP)(AFP)

Rodri acquired the award at a ceremony in Paris, which was organised by the French journal France Soccer in collaboration with UEFA. He, therefore, grew to become the primary Premier League participant to be topped since Cristiano Ronaldo gained in 2008 throughout his maiden stint with Manchester United. He additionally grew to become the second male participant from Spain to raise the award and first since former Barcelona star Luis Suárez gained it in 1960.

“A very special day, for me, my family and my country,” Rodri stated. “I understand that because I have no social media, people don’t know me much. I am just a normal guy. I enjoy the sport, I enjoy my profession. And I try to be a good person. I am a very calm person.”

The Spaniard, who acquired the award in crutches, is prone to miss the rest of the 2024/25 season after incurring an anterior cruciate ligament damage throughout Manchester Metropolis’s 2-2 draw towards Arsenal final month.

Barcelona and Spain star Aitana Bonmati earlier gained her second successive girls’s Ballon d’Or, after main her membership to a historic continental quadruple of titles and claiming the Nations League together with her nation.

– Actual Madrid no-show –

The Ballon d’Or resolution, nevertheless, got here as a shock with Actual Madrid’s Liga and Champions League double winner Vinicius Junior extensively seen because the favorite. The Brazilian, who refused to journey to Paris for the ceremony after attending to know that he didn’t win the award, completed second within the voting, whereas fellow Madrid star Jude Bellingham took the third spot.

The drama started hours earlier than the ceremony when Madrid stated that if Vinicius was snubbed for the celebrated trophy then his teammate Dani Carvajal ought to be seen because the worthy backup.

Just like the Brazilian, Carvajal scored within the 2-0 victory towards Borussia Dortmund within the Champions League ultimate at Wembley.

Vinicius scored 24 targets and made 11 assists in 39 matches throughout all competitions for Madrid as he led the membership to a few titles final season.

“If the award criteria doesn’t give it to Vinicius as the winner, then those same criteria should point to Carvajal as the winner,” Actual Madrid instructed AFP.

“As this was not the case, it is clear that Ballon d’Or-UEFA does not respect Real Madrid. And Real Madrid does not go where it is not respected.”

Madrid, who had eight nominees throughout all of the awards, together with new recruit Kylian Mbappe, boycotted the occasion. Nevertheless, the Spanish giants had been honoured with the boys’s crew of the yr, whereas Carlo Ancelotti acquired the coach of the yr award