Manchester City midfielder Rodri has been named the 2024 Men’s Ballon d’Or winner following his outstanding performance during the 2023-24 season, in which he helped his club secure the English Premier League title for the fourth consecutive time.
Source: NDTV
Following his second-place finish for the Men’s Ballon d’Or, Brazil and Real Madrid star Vinicius Junior broke his silence on being snubbed for the top award. Manchester City midfielder Rodri was named the 2024 Men’s Ballon d’Or winner after a remarkable season in which he helped his club secure a fourth consecutive English Premier League title. Rodri also played a pivotal role in Spain’s national team victory at the 2024 Euros in Germany, where they defeated England 2-1. He was named Player of the Tournament. The 28-year-old was instrumental for both club and country, tallying 14 assists and scoring 10 goals during the season.
With this historic achievement, Rodri becomes the first Premier League player to win the Ballon d’Or since Cristiano Ronaldo in 2008.
After Rodri’s win, Vinicius, known for his resilience on and off the pitch, especially his fight against racism, took to X (formerly Twitter) and wrote, “I’ll do it 10x if I have to. They’re not ready.”
Eu farei 10x se for preciso. Eles não estão preparados.
— Vini Jr. (@vinijr) October 28, 2024
While Vinicius’ exact intention in his statement is unclear, his disappointment is evident. His resilience in the face of challenges — whether scoring goals, winning trophies, or standing up against racism — has garnered widespread respect across the sporting world.
In other Ballon d’Or awards, Real Madrid’s English midfielder took third place, and Barcelona Femeni’s Aitana Bonmati won the women’s Ballon d’Or for the second year running.
Additionally, Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti received the Johan Cruyff Trophy as Men’s Coach of the Year, while Emma Hayes, former Chelsea coach, earned the Women’s Coach of the Year award after guiding the USA to Olympic gold. Real Madrid was also honored as the Men’s Club of the Year.
Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal received the Kopa Trophy as the best male player under 21, and Argentine and Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez won the Lev Yashin Trophy for the second consecutive year.
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