Real Madrid Furious as Rodri Snubs Vinicius for Ballon d’Or
Real Madrid is furious after their star striker, Vinicius Junior, failed to win the Ballon d’Or award. When Rodri, a midfielder for Spain and Manchester City, surpassed Junior to win the coveted prize, Real boycotted the entire ceremony.
The club had been honored as the best team of the year, and their coach, Carlo Ancelotti, had been named the best coach, where he was also set to receive the Cruyff Trophy for the first time. However, no Real Madrid representatives appeared at the event.
It is reported that Real decided to boycott the ceremony after several reliable media outlets published news about Junior’s failure to win the Ballon d’Or earlier on Monday. There was no one from Real Madrid to accept the award or deliver a speech. The program proceeded immediately after that.
Seven Real Madrid players had been nominated for the Ballon d’Or this time, with Junior considered the strongest contender. Most football analysts had also predicted a close contest between Junior and Rodri, claiming that Junior was the most deserving candidate for the Ballon d’Or. However, after Rodri surpassed Junior, Real decided to skip the ceremony.
The 28-year-old midfielder Rodri lost only one game for his club and country last season. He led Spain to the Euro 2024 title in July. He also won the Premier League, UEFA Super Cup, and Club World Cup with City. Rodri also became the first player in City’s history to win the Ballon d’Or.
Upon receiving the award for the first time, Rodri said, ‘Today is very special for me, my family, and my country.’ Rodri added, ‘This is not just for me but for all Spanish football. It’s for all those players who deserved it but couldn’t win.’ He gave examples, saying, ‘Andrés Iniesta, Xavi Hernández, Iker Casillas, Sergio Busquets, and many others.’
With Rodri winning the Ballon d’Or, Real’s Vinicius finished second, and Real’s midfielder Jude Bellingham came in third. This is the first time since Frank Lampard finished second in 2005 that an English player has come so close to winning the Ballon d’Or.
On the women’s side, Aitana Bonmati, a midfielder for Spain and Barcelona, successfully won the award. She won the award for the second consecutive time. She won all possible titles with her club last season.
She won the La Liga, Champions League, Super Cup, and Copa del Rey with Barcelona, achieving a historic ‘quadruple’.
The 26-year-old scored a total of 19 goals for her club in all competitions. Meanwhile, Emma Hayes of Chelsea won the award for the best women’s coach.