Manchester City’s ‘victory fairy’ Rodri wins Ballon d’Or
Real Madrid boycotts over lack of award
Roadie. / Photo = EPA, Yonhap News Manchester City (England)’s ‘victory fairy’ Rodri (28, Spain) was selected as the winner of the 2024 Ballon d’Or male player category. The Ballon d’Or is the world’s most prestigious soccer award ceremony and is considered another festival among soccer fans. However, Real Madrid (Spain) became the target of ridicule from soccer fans around the world for their unsightly display of boycotting the event because they believed their player would not win the award.
Rodri stood tall as the male player who most shined in the 2023-2024 season at the 2024 Ballon d’Or awards ceremony held at the Châtelet Theater in Paris, France on the 29th (Korean time). The Ballon d’Or is the most prestigious award ceremony in the soccer world, jointly organized by the European Football Confederation and the French soccer magazine France Football. This year marks the 68th anniversary.
At this year’s awards ceremony, among the 30 finalists who performed outstandingly from August 1, 2023 to July 31, 2024, Rodri, who received the most votes from 100 journalists around the world, was selected. Rodri became the third Spanish winner of the award, 64 years after Luis Suarez Miramontes in 1960, and following Alfredo Di Stefano and Luis Suarez Miramontes.
Rodri (left), who won first place in the male player category at the 2024 Ballon d’Or, and Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior and Jude Bellingham, who took second and third place, did not participate. / Photo = Reuters, Yonhap News Rodri had the best time of his football life in the 2023-204 season. Considered the world’s best defensive midfielder, he defended Manchester City’s midfield and led them to win the English Premier League (EPL). The final record for the season was 9 goals and 14 assists in 50 games. As a result, Rodri established himself as the most trusted player by coach Pep Guardiola. In particular, in the 174 EPL games that Rodri played for Manchester City, the team suffered only 19 losses, and the games in which Rodri started were undefeated for 52 consecutive games.
Rodri was in charge of the midfield of his country’s Spanish national team at the European Football Championship (Euro 2024) last July, led them to victory, and was honored with being selected as the Most Valuable Player (MVP). As a result, Rodri emerged as a strong candidate for the Ballon d’Or award by sweeping the Euro 2024 MVP, as well as Manchester City’s EPL victory in the 2023-2024 season and Spain’s Euro 2024 victory, and finally stood tall as the ‘brightest star’.
Vinicius Junior. / Photo = Reuters, Yonhap News Soccer fans around the world are praising Rodri, but Real Madrid, considered a prestigious club, is boycotting the Ballon d’Or event due to the failure of their team’s Vinicius Junior (24, Brazil) to win the award. I left a ‘T’. The club told AFP, “If Vinicius is not the winner according to the criteria, then Dani Carvajal (Real Madrid) should be selected as the winner. Since that was not the case, it is clear that the Ballon d’Or does not respect Real Madrid.” He said.
Asked about Real Madrid’s absence from the awards ceremony, Rodri said: “I’m focused on my club and the people who congratulate me. I don’t have much to say about them.” Among soccer fans, there are voices mocking or criticizing Real Madrid. Reactions such as “Even if an individual does not participate, this is the first time I have seen a group boycott”, “I can’t believe a club is boycotting just because they won’t give an award”, and “They have no manners”.
Hong Min-seong, Hankyung.com reporter mshong@hankyung.com
