October 29th 2024.
Vinicius Jr had been eagerly awaiting the announcement of the Ballon d'Or award, the most prestigious individual prize in the world of football. As a star player for Real Madrid, he had been considered the strong favorite to claim the top spot. However, when the winner was revealed, it was not the Brazilian who took home the trophy, but Manchester City and Spain's Rodri.
The leak of the results before the ceremony had caused quite a stir, with Vinicius Jr and his Real Madrid delegation deciding to cancel their trip to Paris and not attend the event at all. This decision was met with some awkward moments on stage, as Real Madrid was named the men's club of the year but had no one present to accept the award.
Despite missing out on the top prize, Vinicius Jr had an impressive season with 24 goals and 11 assists, playing a crucial role in Real Madrid's successes in both the Champions League and La Liga. His disappointment was evident as he warned the organisers, "I'll do it 10x if I have to. They're not ready."
The night also saw other notable absences, including Kylian Mbappe, who was named joint winner of the Gerd Muller Trophy alongside Harry Kane but was not present. Even the host, former Chelsea star Didier Drogba, seemed to expect Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti to be there to accept the coach of the year award, but he too was absent.
Instead, it was Rodri who claimed the top prize, becoming the first defensive midfielder to do so. His win was well-deserved, having played a crucial role in Manchester City's record fourth consecutive Premier League title and being named player of the tournament as Spain won Euro 2024 last summer. Sadly, Rodri appeared at the ceremony on crutches, having suffered a season-ending knee injury.
His win also marked a shift in the Ballon d'Or, as he became only the third player in 16 years to break the domination of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. This was a remarkable achievement and a testament to the talent and hard work of Rodri. Despite the disappointment of missing out on the top spot, Vinicius Jr and the other absentees can take solace in the fact that the award is becoming more diverse and recognizing a wider range of players.
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