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The 2024 Ballon d’Or was awarded to Rodri in October and is still being hotly discussed months later. The star Manchester City and Spain defender recently responded to Cristiano Ronaldo who argued that Vinícius Jr. deserved to win the award.
On Dec. 27 Ronaldo spoke during the Globe Soccer Awards and claimed the 2024 Ballon d’Or was unfair.
Cristiano, más claro imposible: "Vinicius tendría que haber ganado el Balón de Oro"#GlobeSoccer pic.twitter.com/0U9Nhjs7I5
— MARCA (@marca) December 27, 2024
Rodri, who won the Premier League with Manchester City last season and Euro 2024 with Spain, spoke with Diario AS and shared his reaction to Ronaldo’s claims.
"A surprise, really, because he knows better than anyone how this award works and, above all, how the winner is chosen,” Rodri, 28, said.
"This year the journalists who vote have considered that I should win it. Probably, these same journalists were the ones who at some point voted for him to win, and I imagine that then he would agree."
Ronaldo has been voted as the Ballon d'Or winner five times in his career.
The result of the 2024 Ballon d’Or is one of the most debated in recent history. Real Madrid boycotted the ceremony upon learning that Vinícius Jr. wouldn’t win the player of the year award.
Real Madrid fans believe the Brazilian forward deserved to win for his 25 goals, 12 assists and titles in LaLiga and the Champions League, where he scored in the final.
Rodri on the other hand was influential in the midfield for Spain and Manchester City, losing just one game in an 18-month span. He was also named the player of the tournament for Euro 2024.
The debate will likely rage on until the 2025 ceremony. Rodri, who is out for an extended period with a torn ACL, said that winning the award was a major moment in his career.
"It has changed my life. I’ve talked about that with people close to me,” Rodri said.
"Maybe I wasn’t aware of it when I won, but it has changed my life. The magnitude of going out in public isn’t the same now. Many things I used to do, I obviously can’t anymore.
"But it’s for a good reason, it’s because of the recognition I’ve had and that’s been so important for me and my family. It was an unforgettable moment."
