PARIS, France (AFP) — Manchester City and Spain midfielder Rodri was awarded the men’s Ballon d’Or on Monday after winning a fourth consecutive Premier League title and Euro 2024, but Real Madrid boycotted the ceremony.
The decision to award the prize for the world’s best player to the deep-lying midfielder came as a surprise, with Real Madrid’s Liga and Champions League double winner Vinicius Junior widely seen as the pre-ceremony favorite.
Hours before the festivities in Paris, the Spanish club announced its delegation would not attend the ceremony at Chatelet Theatre because of what it perceived as a snub of Vinicius.
Rodri, 28, played a key role as City held off Arsenal to win the Premier League title last season and was named player of the tournament at Euro 2024 as unfancied Spain emerged triumphant in Germany.
Despite the French organizers insisting that the identity of the winner was a closely-guarded secret this year, the news appeared to have leaked with Madrid announcing hours before the ceremony they would not attend.
Barcelona and Spain star Aitana Bonmati earlier 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 drama started hours before the ceremony as Spanish and European champion Real said if Vinicius was not the winner, then the award should go to his teammate Dani Carvajal.
Like the Brazilian, Carvajal scored in the 2-0 victory against Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League final at Wembley.
“If the award criteria don’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 the Ballon d’Or-UEFA does not respect Real Madrid. And Real Madrid does not go where it is not respected.”
The Madrid contingent of nominees also included Kylian Mbappe, Antonio Rudiger, Fede Valverde and Jude Bellingham.
The winner of the Ballon d’Or is chosen from the shortlist by an international jury of 100 specialist journalists.
Its organizers, the Amaury group which owns the L’Equipe sports daily and France Football magazine, denied to AFP that the name of the successor to last year’s winner Lionel Messi had leaked and insisted that “no player or club” knew in advance who had won.
City manager Pep Guardiola has described Rodri as “in his position, the best.”
“He can do everything. The quality, he reads the game, his mentality, he is always ready,” Guardiola said.
“He is so good at many things. The presence, the physicality, he is complete.”
In addition to his metronomic passing and ball-winning capabilities in the center of the pitch, the former Atletico Madrid player also has a knack of popping up with crucial goals for both club and country.