In a surprising twist, Rodri is now expected to clinch the 2024 Ballon d’Or over Vinícius Júnior.
According to Mario Cortegana of The Athletic, Real Madrid is aware Vinícius Júnior will not win the prestigious award, which now appears destined for Manchester City star Rodri.
Consequently, Real Madrid does not plan to attend the ceremony in Paris at Théâtre du Châtelet. It’s anticipated that other nominees from Real Madrid, including Jude Bellingham, Dani Carvajal, along with coach Carlo Ancelotti and club president Florentino Pérez, will also skip the event. ESPN further reported that Vinícius himself is not expected to attend.
Vinícius had been a frontrunner due to his stellar performances for Real Madrid, helping secure La Liga, the Champions League, and the Spanish Super Cup titles. He scored a hat trick in the Spanish Super Cup final, contributed 15 goals in La Liga, and netted six times in the Champions League, including one in the final against Borussia Dortmund.
Rodri, however, has a strong case as well. He was a vital figure in Manchester City’s Premier League triumph, contributing 17 goals and assists. Additionally, he helped City win the UEFA Super Cup and played a significant role in Spain’s Euro 2024 victory.
An unconfirmed but widely shared points list reportedly shows Vinícius leading with 630 points, surpassing Lionel Messi’s 2023 score, though still trailing the highest historical totals like Luka Modric’s 753 points in 2018 or Cristiano Ronaldo’s 946 in 2017. Rodri, if the list is accurate, ranks second with 576 points, followed by Jude Bellingham in third with 422 points.
Typically, Ballon d’Or results are finalized before the ceremony, with rumors in September suggesting Vinícius was aware of his potential win, though he hadn’t been officially informed. L’Equipe reports this is the first year where the winner has not been given prior confirmation, meaning no pre-event interview or photoshoot was arranged.
The alleged top 12 rankings in this year’s Ballon d’Or vote include:
Vinícius Júnior: 630 points
Rodri: 576 points
Jude Bellingham: 422 points
Kylian Mbappé: 317 points
Harry Kane: 201 points
Erling Haaland: 195 points
Lamine Yamal: 128 points
Phil Foden: 29 points
Dani Olmo: 25 points
Florian Wirtz: 24 points
Dani Carvajal: 17 points
Antonio Rüdiger: score unknown
If Vinícius does win, he would be the first Ballon d’Or recipient born in the 21st century, breaking a longstanding trend as the award has historically been dominated by players like Cristiano Ronaldo (1985) and Lionel Messi (1987), meaning no one born in the 1990s has yet claimed the honor.
ALSO READ: Ranking Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, And All Ballon d’Or Winners Of The 21st Century
