Real Madrid star Vinicius Junior has been the favourite to win the 2024 Ballon d’Or after helping the team win the Champions League last season, with the winner to be announced tonight – but now there’s shock news ahead of the ceremony
Rodri has won the 2024 Ballon d’Or
Key Events
- Rodri wins the Ballon d’Or!21:44
- Aitana Bonmati wins the Women’s Ballon d’Or again!21:17
- Erling Haaland comes in fifth, Mbappe sixth21:01
- Emi Martinez makes history! 20:48
- Kane takes the Gerd Muller trophy!20:28
Rodri has won the Ballon d’Or after Real Madrid decided to BOYCOTT tonight’s ceremony.
Vinicius Junior had been the favourite to claim the award won by Lionel Messi last year after a standout season – with neither Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo on the 30-man shortlist this time around.
The Brazil international scored 24 times in all competitions last season, including in the Champions League final, as Madrid won La Liga and claimed top honours in Europe. But there is anger in Madrid and he and the club’s entire entourage did NOT attend the shindig at the Theatre de Chatelet in Paris, where Vini Jr finished second, Jude Bellingham third and Dani Carvajal fourth. Carlo Ancelotti also won men’s coach of the year and Real won the club of the year. A Madrid statement took aim at organisers and claiming they’d been ‘disrespected’.
Their absence left the stage open for Manchester City star Rodri, who helped his team win the league before playing his part in Spain’s Euro 2024 triumph, to land the big prize. Rodri was eventually declared as the first Spanish man to win the award for 64 years, joining fellow Spaniard Aitana Bonmati on stage after she won the women’s award for the second year running.
Lifepages has all the fallout for you as we continue to take in the reaction, with plenty of other awards also handed out over the course of the evening.
