City's Rodri claims Ballon d'Or 2024, Real Madrid boycotts ceremony
Despite predictions favoring Real Madrid's Vinicius Jr., Rodri secured the award following his instrumental role in Spain's Euro 2024 victory and Manchester City's Premier League triumph.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - For the first time in 21 years, neither Lionel Messi nor Cristiano Ronaldo featured in the Ballon d'Or ceremony, as Manchester City midfielder Rodri claimed his first golden ball in a surprising turn of events that sparked controversy and led to Real Madrid's boycott of the prestigious ceremony.
Despite predictions favoring Real Madrid's Vinicius Jr., Rodri secured the award following his instrumental role in Spain's Euro 2024 victory and Manchester City's Premier League triumph.
In protest of Vinicius's runner-up placement, Real Madrid officials boycotted the ceremony entirely, leaving no representative present to collect Carlo Ancelotti's Best Coach award.
Complete List of 2024 Awards:
- Ballon d'Or: Rodri (Manchester City)
- 2nd Place: Vinicius Jr. (Real Madrid)
- 3rd Place: Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid)
- 4th Place: Erling Haaland (Manchester City)
- Women's Ballon d'Or: Aitana Bonmatí (Barcelona)
- Best Club: Real Madrid
- Best Coach: Carlo Ancelotti
- Socrates Award for Humanitarian Work: Hermoso (Spain)
- Best Women's Team: FC Barcelona
- Kopa Trophy (Best Young Player): Lamine Yamal
- Best Strikers: Harry Kane and Kylian Mbappé
- Best Goalkeeper: Emiliano Martínez
The ceremony marked a historic shift in football's highest individual honor, as a defensive midfielder claimed the award for the first time in recent history, signaling the end of the Messi-Ronaldo era that dominated the award for nearly two decades.