Rodri's impressive list of achievements ensured he won the Ballon d'Or: he played a pivotal role in Spain's Euro 2024 championship victory and contributed significantly to Manchester City's Premier League triumph. His consistent performance throughout the season was commendable for both club and country.
In response to Vinicius Junior finishing behind Rodri in the Ballon d'Or rankings, Real Madrid's delegation chose to abstain from the awards ceremony. This decision sparked a considerable discussion within the football community, with many supporters and players expressing their backing for the talented Brazilian.
Bellingham and Carvajal contribute to the lost cause of Vinicius Junior
Vincent Garcia pointed out that Vinicius may have faced challenges in the rankings due to the strong performances of his teammates Bellingham and (Daniel) Carvajal. This highlighted how Real Madrid's last season involved multiple players excelling, leading to a distribution of points among them. While the shared recognition is commendable, it may have impacted Vinicius’s overall standing. It was a testament to the team's depth and talent, and how they all contributed to one another’s success.
Vincent Garcia (Chief Editor of France Football): "It was close. Vinícius probably suffered from the presence of Jude Bellingham and Dani Carvajal in the top 5."
Results were never Revealed
Garcia expressed his strong belief that Vini and Real Madrid were unaware of Rodri’s win before the announcement. He noted that some individuals in Madrid claimed they had been informed about the outcome before the ceremony. However, since France Football did not confirm this, they understandably assumed that Vini had not secured the award.
“I can guarantee you that no one from City or Real Madrid knew, maybe they had a feeling. Maybe El Clásico didn’t help. I don’t know," he said.
“Real Madrid put pressure on me to know if Vini won, and maybe my silence made them think Viní lost, so they didn't show up," he explained.
"I'm unpleasantly surprised, but I don't wanna spend the night talking about it, I want to talk about our winner, Rodri,” he added.