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Rodri has been crowned the 2024 Ballon d'Or winner, but the decision has continued to raise dust, especially with Real Madrid faithful who feel Vinicius was robbed.
For the umpteenth time, the biggest prize in world football has been shrouded in controversy. The latest episode involved Spaniard Rodri pipping Brazilian maestro Vinicius to the Ballon d'Or accolade.
In the past, Lionel Messi was accused of robbing Wesley Sneijder in 2010, Cristiano Ronaldo of displacing Frank Ribbery after a stellar season in 2013, and more recently, Inter Miami’s Messi beating Erling Haaland to the title in 2023.
However, it was the night of dreams for Rodri, who became the first Spanish player since Barcelona’s Luis Suárez in 1960 to stand on the podium with the global prize in his hands.
The decision has continued to generate debates online, with many believing that Vinicius Junior, not Rodri, deserved the win.
For context, Rodri won EURO 2024 with Spain. He also clinched the English Premier League with Manchester City for the fourth time in a row. This feat comes after he won a treble (the EPL, UEFA Champions League and the FA Cup) in the previous season.
However, the Spaniard was not even deemed good enough to make the nominees for the 23/24 Premier League Player of the season.
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Rodri’s triumph was not well received in his native Madrid, where President Florentino Perez and coach Carlo Ancelotti accused UEFA and France Football of 'disrespect' before proceeding to boycott the Ballon d’Or ceremony.
Vinicius Junior, Dani Carvajal, Jude Bellingham and Kylian Mbappe were all absent from the award showpiece in France.
Does Vinicius have a strong case?
Brazil sensation Vinicius Junior won the Champions League and La Liga with Real Madrid, scoring 24 goals and 11 assists in 39 games across all competitions last year. Jude Bellingham had 23 goals and 13 assists in 42 games last season, while captain Dani Carvajal contributed 6 goals and 5 assists in 41 games, including the first of their 2-0 win against Dortmund in the Champions League final.
Meanwhile, for all his troubles, Rodri bagged 9 goals and 14 assists in 50 games across all competitions for the 23/24 season. Well, you might say decent numbers for a defensive midfielder!
Fair enough, Rodri won the European Championship with Spain, but would they have won it without him? The obvious answer is a YES.
Ironically, he was named the best player at the competition when, in actual fact, the likes of Lamine Yamal, Marc Cucurella, Nico Williams and Dani Olmo were the stars of the competition and were heads and shoulders above the Manchester City midfielder.
On the other hand, Vinicius delivered many clutch performances in the Madrid jersey, and their UCL and La Liga triumphs wouldn’t have been possible without his contributions.
However, after picking up yellow cards in the group stages of the Copa América against Paraguay and Columbia, he was suspended for Brazil’s quarterfinal defeat to Uruguay - a game they lost 4-2 on penalties.
Vinicius would later apologise for letting his country down when it mattered the most. He said: "I screwed up by receiving two avoidable yellow cards. Once again I watched the elimination from the sidelines. But this time, it was my fault. I apologise for that."
Pep Guardiola has his say on Vini vs Rodri
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola, while reacting to the Ballon d’Or controversy, stated that Vinicius deserved to win.
However, he drew comparison from last year when Messi won ahead of Haaland. He said the Norwegian striker deserved to win it as much as the Argentine maestro.
Guardiola is of the opinion that Vinicius should have attended the event and accepted the decision of the organisers in good fate as Erling Haaland did last year.
🇪🇸🗣️ Pep: "If Vini would have won Ballon d'Or, it would have been more than well deserved! Like last season with Haaland and he didn't win."
"And he was there, he was happy, and congratulated Messi and OK, let's try to do next season if we can be there again!"
Vinicius snubbed for non-footballing reasons
In the aftermath of the award, unconfirmed revelations were circulating social media that UEFA intervened, asking that Vinicius Junior be denied the Ballon d’Or title.
Many will point to his antics on the field of play, inciting fans and trying to get fellow players booked.
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However, if Real Madrid is the best team of the year and Carlo Ancelotti is the best men’s coach, then why is one of their stars not the best player for the year?
Final Thoughts
The Ballon d’Or will always be controversial because it is voted for by individuals who have biases, and in many cases, it could also be influenced by powerful decision-makers.
I think Rodri was given the award to send a ‘message’ to Vinicius Junior and Real Madrid. The Spaniard is already 28 and might never hit the height of the last two seasons again. However Vinicius is only 24 and will have another shot at glory.
To cut all these, I suggest like Toni Kroos that individual awards be scrapped or be handed down based on various positions - best goalkeeper, defender, midfielder and striker.
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