The winner of the Ballon d'Or is Rodri. The Manchester City defensive midfielder receives the trophy for the first time in Paris.
28.10.2024, 22:49
28.10.2024, 22:58
SDA
Rodri won the European Championship title with Spain at the beginning of July and was voted the best player of the tournament. With Manchester City, the 28-year-old won the English league title for the fourth time in a row. Rodri, who is currently out with a torn cruciate ligament, is the successor to Argentine Lionel Messi, who won the Ballon d'Or for the eighth time a year ago.
Real Madrid's Brazilian Vinicius Junior had been the favorite. As neither he nor his team-mates Jude Bellingham and Daniel Carvajal won the award, the planned Real Madrid delegation canceled their trip to Paris at short notice. "It's clear that Real Madrid is not respected at the Ballon d'Or. And Real Madrid will not go anywhere where it is not respected," read a statement from the Spanish record champions. The Madrilenians triumphed in the Champions League last season and also won the league title.
16th place for Granit Xhaka
Switzerland's Granit Xhaka, who made it onto the list of 30 final candidates for the first time, finished 16th. That was the reward for an outstanding season for Bayer Leverkusen, to which he made a decisive contribution as midfield director. Leverkusen won the league title unbeaten for the first time in the club's history and also won the Cup. Xhaka was also one of the cornerstones of the Swiss national team's run to the quarter-finals of the European Championship in Germany.
The Ballon d'Or féminin, awarded for the fifth time, went to 26-year-old Spaniard Aitana Bonmati, as it did a year ago. The 17-year-old Spaniard Lamine Yamal won the award for best young player, while the award for best goalkeeper once again went to the Argentinian Emiliano Martinez. Swiss goalkeepers Yann Sommer and Gregor Kobel finished 6th and 10th respectively, while Carlo Ancelotti of Real was named best coach.
Neither Messi nor Ronaldo nominated for the first time since 2021
The awarding of the Ballon d'Or was special in that, for the first time in 21 years, neither 37-year-old Messi nor 39-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo were among the possible winners. UEFA also got involved for the first time. It organized the prestigious event together with the French media group Groupe Amaury. The Ballon d'Or has been awarded annually since 1956 by the trade magazine "France Football", which belongs to Groupe Amaury.
