On Monday, Manchester City and Spain midfielder Rodri won the men’s Ballon d’Or, following his fourth consecutive Premier League title and a Euro 2024 victory.
However, Real Madrid chose to boycott the event. The decision to honor the deep-lying midfielder as the world’s best player came as a surprise, as Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior, a Liga and Champions League double winner, had been widely favored to win.
Hours before the ceremony at the Chatelet Theatre in Paris, Real Madrid announced its delegation would not attend, feeling that Vinicius had been unjustly overlooked.
Rodri, 28, was pivotal in Manchester City’s Premier League success, helping them fend off Arsenal last season, and he was named player of the tournament at Euro 2024 after Spain’s unexpected triumph in Germany. Despite the French organizers claiming the winner’s identity was kept secret, the news apparently leaked, prompting Madrid’s withdrawal from the event.
Barcelona and Spain star Aitana Bonmati had earlier won her second consecutive women’s Ballon d’Or, having led her club to a historic quadruple and achieved Nations League success with Spain.
The drama unfolded hours before the ceremony, as Real Madrid stated that if Vinicius was not the winner, his teammate Dani Carvajal should have received the award. Carvajal, like Vinicius, scored in Real’s 2-0 Champions League final victory over Borussia Dortmund at Wembley.
“If the criteria don’t favor Vinicius, then they should lead to Carvajal as the winner,” Real Madrid told AFP. “As this is not the case, it’s clear that Ballon d’Or-UEFA does not respect Real Madrid, and we won’t attend where we’re not respected.” Other nominees from Madrid included Kylian Mbappe, Antonio Rudiger, Fede Valverde, and Jude Bellingham.
Ballon d’Or organizers, owned by the Amaury group behind L’Equipe and France Football, denied to AFP that any leak had occurred, insisting that neither players nor clubs knew the winner in advance.
City manager Pep Guardiola has called Rodri the best in his position. “He can do everything: quality, game-reading, mentality — he’s always ready,” Guardiola said. Known for his passing precision, ball-winning ability, and crucial goals, Rodri helped City secure their first Champions League in 2023 and scored essential goals for Spain, including a late equalizer in their Euro 2024 last-16 match against Georgia.
Spain’s Euros-winning coach Luis de la Fuente praised Rodri’s impact, describing him as “a perfect computer” for the team. His significance is such that each of Manchester City’s last four Premier League losses occurred when he wasn’t in the lineup.
Rodri’s 52-game unbeaten streak in the Premier League dates back to February 2023. Currently, with City at the top of the league, their hopes for a fifth consecutive title have been hindered by Rodri’s recent ACL injury, ruling him out for the season.
