Rodri was awarded the 2024 Ballon d’Or, not Vinicius Junior.

Accordingly, a series of famous experts and journalists posted on social media that Vinicius Junior was not the winner as initially speculated. Along with that, the Real Madrid delegation canceled their flight to Paris because they knew that the Brazilian player did not win.

Even when Carlo Ancelotti was awarded the Best Men’s Football Coach award, he was not present in Paris.

The Royal team clearly expressed their opposition to the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) because they thought that the criteria for determining the winner were confusing. Because if Vinicius could not win, their defender Dani Carvajal was the most deserving based on the number of titles won in the 2023-2024 season (from August 2023 to July 2024).

But in the end, after a three-hour ceremony, it was Manchester City’s Rodri who was honoured, becoming the first defensive midfielder to be awarded the Ballon d’Or.

In the 2023-2024 season, the Man City star lifted the club’s fourth consecutive Premier League title in May, continuing his impeccable form after the most successful 2022-2023 season of his career.

Rodri’s efforts have been rewarded at both club and international level, with a successful summer at EURO 2024 – Spain won the tournament after a final victory over England.

He is one of the most promising candidates for the Ballon d’Or, but for nearly a month, Vinicius has been the one who has been rated higher. The Brazilian won La Liga and the Champions League with Real Madrid, with important goals.

Marca even confidently declared that Vinicius will win. The 24-year-old player himself also had “extra points” matches in the 2024-2025 season, during the period when Rodri was injured.