Manchester City and Spain defensive midfielder Rodri has won his first Ballon D’Or in what turned out to be not much of a shock as the signs pointed to the 28-year-old taking out the prestigious gong.
Rodri was second favourite yesterday behind Real Madrid and Brazil star Vinicius Junior but Dani Carvajal and Jude Bellingham also in the mix, Real Madrid made the stunning decision to boycott the ceremony in Paris.
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The no-show from the Spanish giants effectively made it clear that Rodri would take home the mantle as the best male footballer of the year.
Despite the controversy, he put together a remarkable year.
He was player of the tournament as Spain won the Euros, scored the winner in last year’s Champions League and is a vital part of one of the world’s best club sides – unfortunately for Manchester City he is currently sidelined with an ACL injury.
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Former City player George Weah presented the award – which was another omen that Rodri would win – on a historic night for the club as their rock in defensive midfield became the first player ever from the blue half of Manchester to win the award.
He is also the first defensive player to achieve the accolade in almost two decades as Italy’s Fabio Cannavaro was the last in 2006.
Incredibly Rodri is also the first Spanish player to win the men’s Ballon d’Or since Luis Suárez in 1960 which is remarkable for a country with such great football pedigree.
“An incredible night for me,” Rodri said. “It’s a special day for me, my family and my country.”
Rodri thanked his girlfriend Laura as the award ceremony fell on their anniversary, and also acknowledged his Manchester City and Spain teammates before touching on himself.
“I always try to improve every day, the level of my game, [playing] the modern holding midfielder role, playing further forward,” he said.
“I’m just a normal guy, I enjoy sport, enjoy my profession. I try to be a good person, try to be a leader. I’m a calm person, until I get upset. I’d like to show the kids that you don’t have to be crazy, you can be a normal guy, try to do your best.”
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REAL MADRID BOYCOTT EXPLAINED
The Ballon d’Or ceremony got underway on Monday in the absence of Real Madrid stars Vinicius Junior and Jude Bellingham after the Spanish club said it would boycott over a perceived snub of its players.
The Spanish and European champions earlier on Monday told AFP it questioned the methods behind the selection of the Ballon d’Or winner, saying that their defender Dani Carvajal, another of the 30 players nominated, had also been unfairly overlooked.
“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 told AFP.
“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 seven players from the Madrid contingent that were short-listed for the individual award, including Kylian Mbappe, Antonio Rudiger, Fede Valverde and the retired Toni Kroos, did not show up to walk the red carpet at Paris’ Chatelet Theatre before the ceremony began.
For this year’s edition, the organisers had decided to keep the winner’s identity secret until the on-stage announcement.
With the absence of the Madrid’s double-winning stars, especially that of the bookmakers’ favourite Vinicius, many are now tipping Manchester City and Spain midfielder Rodri to win the award.
However, the Ballon d’Or organisers told AFP that “no player or club” knows in advance who will win the award.
The Ballon d’Or is awarded by a jury of journalists representing the top 100 nations in the FIFA rankings.
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BONMATI WINS AGAIN, MATILDAS SNUBBED
Barcelona and Spain star Aitana Bonmati on Monday 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.
The 26-year-old playmaker joins team-mate Alexia Putellas as the only women 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 after receiving the award.
“Thanks to the staff, to the club workers, without you we would not achieve so much success.” Already considered an all-time great of the women’s game, Bonmati was the stand-out performer as Barcelona romped to a trophy-laden 2023/24 season.
The Catalans won every trophy available to them last term — the Spanish league, the Copa de la Reina, the Supercopa de Espana and a second-successive Women’s Champions League.
Bonmati scored a goal and put in a player-of-the-match performance as Barcelona beat Lyon 2-0 in the final of the Champions League to claim their third title in four seasons.
Not a single member of Australia’s Matildas squad was selected in the top 30 as Sam Kerr has been out with an ACL injury.
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– ‘Proudest I’ve felt’ –
“It’s the first time we’ve beaten Lyon. I’m proud of the team, and we know that with these fans we have, we can’t fail,” Bonmati said after the crowning moment of her season, which was played in front of 51,000 spectators in Bilbao’s San Mames stadium.
A product of Barcelona’s famed La Masia academy, the diminutive midfielder was also named player of the season by UEFA for her six goals and six assists during her side’s successful European campaign.
With eight goals and 11 assists in Spain’s Liga F, Bonmati was equally influential in guiding Barcelona to a fifth-straight league title.
The 2023 World Cup winner added the inaugural Women’s Nations League to her resume in February, when she scored Spain’s opener in their 2-0 win in the final against France.
She was again selected by UEFA as the overall player of the finals for her performances and goals in the semi-finals and final.
Only a shock defeat in the Olympics semi-final against Brazil prevented Bonmati from having the chance to secure a remarkable six titles for club and country in one season.
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In April, Bonmati was named Sportswoman of the Year at the Laureus Awards, becoming the first footballer to do so, and was rewarded along with her Spain team-mates for winning the Women’s World Cup in August 2023.
She also received praise for helping to combat sexism in the Spanish football federation by protesting with her team-mates after disgraced former president Luis Rubiales forcibly kissed player Jenni Hermoso.
“She’s a role model of a player. How she trains, her attitude, the way she approaches things every day, she just sets a great example,” then-Barcelona coach Jonatan Giraldez said of his star asset in May.
“We met when she was starting out her career. I’ve watched her grow up, go through the whole process. I’m pleased to have seen everything that’s happened (to her), and she deserves it all.”
The women’s Ballon d’Or is chosen from a shortlist of 30 players by a voting panel of 50 international football journalists.
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Men’s award: full ranking
1 Rodri (Manchester City/Spain)
2 Vinícius Júnior (Real Madrid/Brazil)
3 Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid/England)
4 Dani Carvajal (Real Madrid/Spain)
5 Erling Haaland (Man City/Norway)
6 Kylian Mbappé (Real Madrid/France)
7 Lautaro Martínez (Inter, Argentina)
8 Lamine Yamal (Barcelona/Spain)
9 Toni Kroos (Real Madrid/Germany)
10 Harry Kane (Bayern Munich/England)
11 Phil Foden (Man City/England)
12 Florian Wirtz (Leverkusen/Germany)
13 Dani Olmo (Barcelona/Spain)
14 Ademola Lookman (Atalanta/Nigeria)
15 Nico Williams (Athletic/Spain)
16 Granit Xhaka (Leverkusen/Switzerland)
17 Federico Valverde (Real Madrid/Uruguay)
18 Emiliano Martínez (Aston Villa/Argentina)
19 Martin Ødegaard (Arsenal/Norway)
20 Hakan Calhanoglu (Inter/Turkey)
21 Bukayo Saka (Arsenal/England)
22 Antonio Rüdiger (Real Madrid/Germany)
23 Rúben Dias (Man City/Portugal)
24 William Saliba (Arsenal/France)
25 Cole Palmer (Chelsea/England)
26 Declan Rice (Arsenal/England)
27 Vitinha (PSG/Portugal)
28 Alejandro Grimaldo (Leverkusen/Spain)
=29 Mats Hummels (Roma/Germany)
=29 Artem Dovbyk (Roma/Ukraine)
Women’s award: full ranking
1 Aitana Bonmatí (Barcelona/Spain)
2 Caroline Graham Hansen (Barcelona/Norway)
3 Salma Paralluelo (Barcelona/Spain)
4 Sophia Smith (Portland/USA)
5 Lindsey Horan (Lyon/USA)
6 Mallory Swanson (Chicago/USA)
7 Marie-Antoinette Katoto (PSG/France)
8 Mariona Caldentey (Arsenal/Spain)
9 Trinity Rodman (Washington/USA)
10 Alexia Putellas (Barcelona/Spain)
11 Patri Guijarro (Barcelona/Spain)
12 Barbra Banda (Orlando/Zambia)
13 Lauren James (Chelsea/England)
14 Ada Hegerberg (Lyon/Norway)
15 Khadija Shaw (Man City/Jamaica)
16 Tabitha Chawinga (PSG/Malawi)
17 Alyssa Naeher (Chicago/USA)
18 Gabi Portilho (Corinthians/Brazil)
19 Giulia Gwinn (Bayern/Germany)
20 Lucy Bronze (Chelsea/England)
21 Mayra Ramírez (Chelsea/Colombia)
22 Glódis Viggósdóttir (Bayern/Iceland)
23 Tarciane (Houston/Brazil)
24 Lea Schüller (Bayern/Germany)
25 Sjœke Nüsken (Chelsea/Germany)
26 Yui Hasegawa (Man City/Japan)
27 Manuela Giugliano (Roma/Italy)
28 Lauren Hemp (Man City/England)
29 Ewa Pajor (Wolfsburg/Poland)
30 Grace Geyoro (PSG/France)
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