Spain midfielder Rodri wins men’s Ballon d’Or as Real Madrid boycott

PARIS (Agencies): Manchester City and Spain midfielder Rodri was awarded the men’s Ballon d’Or on Monday after winning a fourth consecutive Premier League title and Euro 2024, but Real Madrid boycotted the ceremony. The decision to award the prize for the world’s best player to the midfielder came as a surprise, with Real Madrid’s Liga and Champions League double winner Vinicius Junior widely seen as the favourite. Hours before the ceremony in Paris, the Spanish club announced its delegation would not attend the ceremony at Chatelet Theatre because of what it perceived as a snub of Vinicius. Rodri, 28, played a key role as City held off Arsenal to win the Premier League title last season and was named player of the tournament at Euro 2024 as unfancied Spain emerged triumphant in Germany. Rodri was diplomatic when addressing the question of Real’s no-show in his post-award press conference. “They have their decision, they didn’t want to be here for their reasons,” he said. “I just focus on my club and my teammates.” Despite the French organisers insisting that the identity of the winner was a closely guarded secret this year, the news appeared to have leaked ahead of the festivities. Barcelona and Spain star Aitana Bonmati earlier won her second successive women’s Ballon d’Or, after leading her club to a historic continental quadruple of titles and claiming the Nations League with her country.

Real Madrid no-show:

The drama started hours before the ceremony as Spanish and European champions Real said if Vinicius was not the winner, then the award should go to his teammate Dani Carvajal. Like the Brazilian, Carvajal scored in the 2-0 victory against Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League final at Wembley. Vinicius scored 24 goals and made 11 assists in 39 matches across all competitions for Madrid as he led the club to three titles last season. “If the award criteria doesn’t give it to Vinicius as the winner, then those same criteria should point to Carvajal as the winner,” Real Madrid said. “As this was not the case, it is clear that Ballon d’Or-UEFA does not respect Real Madrid. And Real Madrid does not go where it is not respected.” The Madrid contingent of nominees also included Kylian Mbappe, Antonio Rudiger, Fede Valverde and Jude Bellingham. The winner of the Ballon d’Or is chosen from the shortlist by an international jury of 100 specialist journalists. The organisers, the Amaury group which owns the L’Equipe sports daily and France Football magazine, denied that the name of the successor to last year’s men’s winner Lionel Messi had leaked and insisted that “no player or club” knew in advance who had won. When Real were named as the men’s team of the year, a video played on the stage in the absence of any club representatives.

‘Best in his position’:

City manager Pep Guardiola has described Rodri as “in his position, the best”. “He can do everything. The quality, he reads the game, his mentality, he is always ready,” Guardiola has said. In addition to his metronomic passing and ball-winning capabilities, the former Atletico Madrid player has a knack for popping up with crucial goals for club and country. His goal won City their first Champions League in 2023 but he also scored vital goals for Spain, such as the equaliser in their last-16 Euro 2024 tie against Georgia. So central is Rodri to Manchester City that their past four Premier League defeats have all come when he was absent. City are top of the Premier League but their chances of winning a fifth straight domestic title were dented in September when Rodri suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury, ruling him out for the season. Bonmati, 26, joins her Barcelona team-mate Alexia Putellas as the only woman to win the Ballon d’Or twice since the award’s inauguration in 2018. “This cannot be achieved alone, I am very lucky to be surrounded by players who make me better every day,” Bonmati said. The Catalans won every trophy available to them last season — the Spanish league, Cup, Super Cup and a second-successive Women’s Champions League.