Spanish midfielders Rodri and Aitana Bonmatí were awarded the men’s and women’s Ballon d’Or on Monday, recognizing them as the best soccer players in the world. Meanwhile, Real Madrid chose to boycott the high-profile ceremony in Paris, seemingly in protest.
Rodri, 28, received this prestigious award for the first time after helping Manchester City win the Premier League and playing a crucial role in Spain’s victory at the European Championship.
He took over the title from Lionel Messi, who has won it eight times, and surpassed Real Madrid’s Vinícius Júnior, which upset the Spanish club. Real Madrid and its players did not attend the event and expressed their disappointment on social media.
When Rodri’s name was announced by former winner George Weah, he showed his emotions by covering his face with his hands.
“Incredible night for me,” said Rodri, who is currently out for the season due to an ACL injury and arrived on crutches. “One of my key things is I always try to improve every game.”
Known for his hard work and selflessness, Rodri quickly shifted the focus to others when receiving praise.
“I just want to say thank you again to the people who recognize my value in the game,” he stated. “When I was a kid, I never thought of winning the Ballon d’Or, but in the last years I’ve been playing at the highest level.”
The 26-year-old Bonmatí kept her award after helping Barcelona win the Spanish league, the Spanish cup, and the Champions League. She joined her teammate Alexia Putellas in winning two titles since the women’s trophy was first given in 2018. Bonmatí outperformed her teammates Caroline Graham Hansen from Norway and Salma Paralluelo from Spain, as Barcelona claimed the top three spots.
“It’s a pleasure to be here again,” Bonmatí said while accepting the award from Oscar winner Natalie Portman. “Thanks to my teammates and the clubs who make me a better football player every year.”
Even though attacking midfielder Jude Bellingham was third in the voting and Dani Carvajal came in fourth, with coach Carlo Ancelotti winning the coach of the year award, no one from Real Madrid attended the event in central Paris.
Ancelotti shared a message on X, as did Vinícius, who many believed was a favorite for the award, despite Rodri also having a great season.
“I’ll do it 10x if needed,” Vinícius wrote in Portuguese. “They are not ready.” Madrid midfielder Eduardo Camavinga expressed his thoughts on the voting, calling it “football politics.”
“My brother, you are the best player in the world, and no award can say otherwise,” the France international posted on X along with a photo of him and Vinícius celebrating. “Love you, my bro.”
Former Madrid star Karim Benzema, who won the Ballon d’Or in 2022, shared a supportive message in French on Instagram, including the words “Trop Fort” (“Too Strong”).
Neither Messi nor Cristiano Ronaldo—who have won the prestigious individual award a total of 13 times—were contenders for this year’s prize. This is the first time since 2003 that neither of them has been in the running.
While Rodri may not be as flashy or score as many goals as Messi and Ronaldo, he played a crucial role in Manchester City’s success by helping protect the defense and making accurate passes from the back.
“I try to be a leader and try to improve every day from the best,” Rodri said.
City often looked unbeatable with him on the field, and his strong technical skills allowed him to fit well into the fast-passing style that Spain used effectively at Euro 2024. He is the first player from Manchester City to win this award.
“He is a player completely without ego, whose performance level over a very long period of time has been exceptional,” said City’s director of football, Txiki Begiristain. “The consistency he has shown is the result of hard work and dedication.”
Bonmatí scored 19 goals for Barcelona for the second consecutive season and has netted five in five games for Spain this year, bringing her international total to 26.
The Ballon d’Or was established by France Football magazine and has been awarded for men since 1956 and for women since 2018. Journalists from the top 100 countries in the FIFA rankings vote for the award.
Each journalist, one from each country, chooses 10 players in ranked order, with points given for each position. The player with the most points wins. Unlike FIFA’s awards for the best players each year, fans do not participate in the voting process.
