Manchester City midfielder Rodri won the 2024 Ballon d’Or, as Real Madrid boycotted the ceremony due to Vinicius Junior missing out.
The Brazilian had been the firm favourite in the build-up to the event, but Madrid were said to have been informed on Monday that their star man had not topped the voting.
Madrid are said to have therefore cancelled the private jet they had booked and did not have any representatives in Paris, despite initially intending to send a 50-strong delegation, according to reports. Carlo Ancelotti, Jude Bellingham, Florentino Perez and Vinicius himself all skipped the event.
Vinicius finished second in the voting, with Madrid team-mates Bellingham and Dani Carvajal in third and fourth respectively.
Instead it was Rodri who picked up the most prestigious individual award in football, as he became the first Ballon d’Or winner to be playing in the Premier League since Cristiano Ronaldo in 2008.
The midfielder needed crutches to make his way up to the stage, having suffered an ACL injury earlier this season.
"A very special day for me, my family and my country," said Rodri.
"Today is not a victory for me, it is for Spanish football, for so many players who have not won it and have deserved it, like [Andres] Iniesta, Xavi [Hernandez], Iker [Casillas], Sergio Busquets, so many others. It is for Spanish football and for the figure of the midfielder."
He added: "Today many friends have written to me and have told me that football has won, for giving visibility to so many midfielders who have a job in the shadows and today it is coming to light.”
Rodri's crowning moment! 👑🤩#ballondor pic.twitter.com/fklfcJJLUS
— Manchester City (@ManCity) October 28, 2024
Rodri went 74 games and 475 days without a single defeat for club and country over the majority of last season, with that streak only ended in the FA Cup final against Manchester United in May.
City team-mate Ilkay Gundogan was among those to pay tribute to Rodri, labelling him the “perfect midfielder”.
“From today on he is finally not 'underrated' anymore,” Gundogan tweeted.
“Congratulations to my team-mate Rodri on winning the Ballon d'Or! For me this is very well deserved! I'm especially happy that someone on a defensive position is winning this title and not always just the offensive players! Rodri is the perfect midfielder and there's no one that plays his position better than he does.”
