Rodri is the winner of the 68th edition of the Ballon d'Or. In a ceremony held at the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris, the coveted individual award was presented to the Manchester City and Spanish national team midfielder. This year’s edition was marked by twists and controversy. Until the eve of the event, Vinicius Jr. was widely considered the favorite and predicted winner of the award.
Just hours before the event, however, different rumors emerged: Rodri’s victory over Vinicius, who ended up second. Behind them were two more Blancos, Bellingham and Carvajal. In response, the Real Madrid delegation, led by Carlo Ancelotti, chose to skip the Paris ceremony, despite the strong presence of their players. The Italian coach was also honored as the season’s best manager for 2023-2024.
Rounding out the top five was Manchester City’s Erling Haaland. Also in the top 10 was Inter’s Lautaro Martinez, who placed seventh, just behind Kylian Mbappé. Martinez finished ahead of Lamine Yamal, the retired Toni Kroos, and Harry Kane. Other Serie A players in the rankings included Lookman in 14th, Calhanoglu in 20th, and Roma’s Dovbyk and Hummels, who recently played with Girona and Borussia Dortmund. They closed out the top 30, tying for 29th place. Football has a new Ballon d’Or winner.
The Leagues return: Bundesliga and Ligue 1 ready to deliver excitement
23 Nov - 12:09 •
1' min
