Rodri wins Ballon d’Or as Vinicius Junior and Real Madrid snub event

Incredible night for me tonight. I’ve so many thanks to so many people. For France Football and UEFA, and for those who voted for me, who put their trust in me. It is very special for me, and my family, for the values they have taught me. For helping me become the man I am. Who would have thought I’d be here? This is a victory for Spanish football.

When I was 17-year-old I packed up my suitcases and I went to Villarreal with a dream to work in the Premier League, and one day I called my father crying telling him it was all over and that I had invested my life to get here and I had the feeling that, this was it.

My father said we had come all the way here, let’s keep going and this is something that changed my mindset and now, here I am. I am a normal boy who never gets carried away with stereotypes. Hard work is what matters.

Rodri won the Premier League, Super Cup, Club World Cup and European Championship. 

He was named player of the tournament at the Euros, selected in the PFA team of the year and holds the longest unbeaten streak in club football with 74 matches.

Fully deserved recognition 

The Manchester City midfielder has done it. A huge upset. Many expected Vinicius Junior to do it but the Spain international claims the top prize.

Rodri is currently injured after knee surgery so he need crutches and support from Drogba to get on the stage.

George Weah, the only African player to ever win the Ballon d’Or, is on stage to present the award. 

The winner will come from these four players - Rodri, Vinicius Junior, Jude Bellingham or Dani Carvajal.

And the final three names are not at the ceremony. 

11 - Aitana Bonmatí was the player with the most goal involvements (11, six goals and five assists) in the UEFA Women's Champions League 2023/24, being also co-leader in assists in the competition along with Caroline Graham Hansen and scoring in the final against Lyon.

Top. pic.twitter.com/mFHSigxb8d

No acknowledgement of Real being named club of the year and Carlo Ancelotti’s coach of the year award on their website.

They are very mad which is very petty and funny.

Actor Natalie Portman is here to present the award. 

And the winner is for the second year in a row... Barcelona and Spain’s Aitana Bonmati! Caroline Graham Hansen 2nd, Salma Paralluelo 3rd and Sophia Smith 4th.

Thank you for the applause, as always I say I can’t be here alone, I’m very fortunate to play with amazing players.

I always say this is not something that you can do alone, I’m so lucky to be surrounded by wonderful players who help me to keep growing into a better player. So thank you to my teammates because without them I wouldn’t be here, I would also like to thank my club and Joan Laporta.

The nominees are Xabi Alonso (Leverkusen), Carlo Ancelotti (Real Madrid), Luis de la Fuente (Spain), Gian Piero Gasperini (Atalanta), Pep Guardiola (Manchester City) and Lionel Scaloni (Argentina).

And the winner is... Real’s Carlo Ancelotti! But he is not there to receive. Drogba admits he is disappointed that his former coach is not in Paris.

So awkward!

The nominees are Sonia Bompastor (Lyon/Chelsea), Arthur Elias (Corinthians/Brazil), Jonatan Giráldez (Barcelona), Emma Hayes (Chelsea/USA); Filipa Patão (Benfica) and Sarina Wiegman (England).

And the winner is... Emma Hayes! She won the WSL in her final season with Chelsea and Olympic gold with USA.

I’m very honoured. My family are very proud to be in this position.

I am a little embarrassed as this is a team game. I am so honoured to coach incredible teams at Chelsea and USA. This is a very proud day.

Countdown continues for the top men’s award of the night.

7. Lautaro Martinez
6. Kylian Mbappe
5. Erling Haaland

Countdown continues for the top women’s award of the night.

7. Marie-Antoinette Katoto
6. Mallory Swanson
5. Lindsey Horan

First of all, thank you all very much. It’s an honour to be back. I’d like to thank my colleagues, my teammates at Aston Villa. They all know how demanding I am.

I come from a very humble place and this is something that makes me want to do better and improve. It is the group effort that makes things happen.

The nominees are Diogo Costa, Gianluigi Donnarumma, Gregor Kobel, Andriy Lunin, Mike Maignan, Giorgi Mamardashvili, Emiliano Martínez, Unai Simón, Yann Sommer and Ronwen Williams.

And the winner is... Aston Villa’s Emiliano Martínez.

Back-to-back winner of the award. I’m not convinced Martinez is the best in the Premier League, let alone the world.

Real Madrid cancelled their delegation’s plans to attend the Ballon d’Or ceremony at the last minute as the club understand that their Brazil forward Vinicius Junior will not win the award, according to Reuters.

Vinicius, the Champions League player of the year, was the heavy odds-on favourite to claim his first Ballon d’Or, which is presented to the best player in the world, ahead of Manchester City’s Spain midfielder Rodri, 28, and Real’s England international Jude Bellingham.

But so far tonight there has been no presence from the Spanish club. It means Carlo Ancelotti won’t collect coach of the year award if he wins.

Thank you to my club Bayern Munich, all my staff, teammates, for helping me score all the goals I scored.

It’s an honour to take this award from a club legend, thank you very much.

This is for the best striker and the winner is.... Harry Kane AND Kylian Mbappe.

Kane walks up to collect his award but with Madrid boycotting the event, Mbappe is not there.

Yikes!

A video tribute now for German football legend Franz Beckenbauer, who died in January. 

Beckenbauer’s wife Heidi and Joel come out with Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and share their personal memories of the World Cup winner.

Sound issues mean we’ve already had some weird pauses as guests and presenters can’t hear each other.

Drogba is stood there trying to smile through the awkwardness.

The nominees are Bayer Leverkusen, Borussia Dortmund, Girona, Manchester City and Real Madrid.

And the prize goes to Real after winning the Champions League and La Liga but incredibly there is nobody at the ceremony to collect the award.

They have reportedly snubbed the event amid suggestion Vinicius Junior will not win the men’s prize.

Countdown begins for the top women’s award of the night.

10. Alexia Putellas
9. Trinity Rodman
8. Mariona Caldentey

The nominees are Barcelona, Chelsea, Lyon, NJ/NY Gotham and Paris Saint-Germain.

And Barcelona are the winners. President Joan Laporta and Alexia Putellas come on to the stage to accept.

No shock here. The Barcelona forward has had an outstanding year and he’s only 17 and 107 days old.

He is the youngest player to play and score for Spain. Youngest to play, score and win at a European Championship.

And the youngest to win this prize.

Ruud Gullit comes out and will present the Kopa Trophy.

These are the contenders - Pau Cubarsí, Alejandro Garnacho, Arda Guler, Karim Konaté, Kobbie Mainoo, João Neves, Savinho, Mathys Tel, Lamine Yamal and Warren Zaïre-Emery.

Lamine Yamal has his name all over this I reckon...

Erling Haaland won’t be in the room when the Ballon d’Or is awarded after he preferred a trip to Sweden where his friend Erik Botheim can win the league with Malmo FF.

The 24-year-old Manchester City striker was spotted in Malmo this evening ahead of their game against bitter rivals IFK Gothenburg, where a victory would give them their second straight Allsvenskan title and fourth in five years.

Haaland and Botheim became friends while playing for Norway’s junior national team, and they also featured in a rap video together with Erik Sandberg that has been viewed more than 12 million times on YouTube.

• Jude Bellingham
• Dani Carvajal
• Erling Haaland
• Harry Kane
• Toni Kroos
• Lautaro Martínez
• Kylian Mbappe
• Rodri
• Vinícius Júnior
• Lamine Yamal

• The Men’s Ballon d’Or
• The Women’s Ballon d’Or
• The Kopa Trophy

Pau Cubarsí, Alejandro Garnacho, Arda Guler, Karim Konaté, Kobbie Mainoo, João Neves, Savinho, Mathys Tel, Lamine Yamal andWarren Zaïre-Emery

• The Yashin Trophy

Diogo Costa, Gianluigi Donnarumma, Gregor Kobel, Andriy Lunin, Mike Maignan, Giorgi Mamardashvili, Emiliano Martínez, Unai Simón, Yann Sommer and Ronwen Williams

• The Men’s Coach of the Year trophy

Xabi Alonso (Leverkusen), Carlo Ancelotti (Real Madrid), Luis de la Fuente (Spain), Gian Piero Gasperini (Atalanta), Pep Guardiola (Manchester City) and Lionel Scaloni (Argentina)

• The Women’s Coach of the Year trophy

Sonia Bompastor (Lyon/Chelsea), Arthur Elias (Corinthians/Brazil), Jonatan Giráldez (Barcelona), Emma Hayes (Chelsea/USA); Filipa Patão (Benfica) and Sarina Wiegman (England).

• The Men’s Club of the Year trophy

Bayer Leverkusen, Borussia Dortmund, Girona, Manchester City and Real Madrid

• The Women’s Club of the Year trophy

Barcelona, Chelsea, Lyon, NJ/NY Gotham and Paris Saint-Germain

• The Gerd Müller trophy

Hello and welcome to coverage for tonight’s 2024 Ballon d’Or ceremony with several award up for grabs.

The men’s and women’s best player are the most coveted titles at stake with Man City’s Rodri battling against Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior and Jude Bellingham.

“Vinicius had an incredible season where he was a key player... he proved he’s the best player in the world,” Madrid team mate Lucas Vazquez said.

Rodri, who City manager Pep Guardiola has called “the best midfielder in the world”, was instrumental in helping his team win an unprecedented fourth consecutive Premier League trophy last season and was named best player at this year’s European Championship after Spain lifted a record-extending fourth title.

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo won football’s most prestigious individual award a combined 13 times over a 16-year period of unprecedented dominance. This year, neither has been nominated.

Kylian Mbappe, Erling Haaland and Lamine Yamal make up a field of contenders who could challenge for years to come.
The only other winners since Ronaldo won his first Ballon d’Or in 2008 were Luka Modric in 2018 and Karim Benzema in 2022. Both were born in the 1980s.

The Ballon d’Or was created by France Football magazine and has been awarded since 1956. It is voted for by journalists from the top 100 countries in the FIFA rankings.

Each journalist, one per country, selects 10 players in ranked order, with points attributed to each position. The winner is the player who receives the most points.

On the women’s side, Barcelona and Spain midfielder Aitana Bonmatí won the 2023 award and is among the favorites again this year. She is set to face competition from Caroline Graham Hansen and Salma Paralluelo, who are team mates at Barcelona — the Champions League winner and Spanish champions.

Stay with us for all the build up and updates!