PARIS: Manchester City and Spain midfielder Rodri has won the men’s Ballon d’Or – awarded to the best footballer of the year by France Football magazine. He is only the second Spaniard to lift the trophy, after playmaker Luis Suarez back in 1964.
The 28-year-old, who lost just one game last season for club and country, was awarded the prize in Paris after helping Spain win Euro 2024 in July. He also won the Premier League, Uefa Super Cup and Club World Cup with City.
Rodri, the first player in the club’s history to win the Ballon d’Or, claimed the award ahead of Real Madrid and Brazil winger Vinicius Jr.
Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham was third – the highest an English player has finished in the award since Frank Lampard’s second-place finish in 2005.
Real Madrid won the award for club of the year and their manager Carlo Ancelotti was the winner of the men’s coach of the year award, but there was no-one from the club present to receive the prizes.
It was reported earlier on Monday that Real Madrid were boycotting the ceremony in protest at leakd reports that Vinicius would not win the Ballon d’Or.
“A very special day for me, my family and my country,” said Rodri, who appeared on stage on crutches after rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in September.
The Ballon d’Or recognises the best footballer of the year and is voted for by a jury of journalists from each of the top 100 countries in the Fifa men’s world rankings.
It was the first time since 2003 that neither eight-time winner Lionel Messi, 37, or five-time winner Cristiano Ronaldo, 39, have appeared on the list of nominees.
Having helped Manchester City to the Treble in 2023, Rodri finished fifth in last year’s Ballon d’Or.
His continued success with City and his role within Spain’s Euro 2024-winning side has seen him become one of the most influential players in world football.
The holding midfielder went off injured at half-time in the Euros final against England, but he had already done enough to be named player of the tournament.
Rodri scored a career-best nine goals for City last season, including two crucial late strikes in Premier League games and a goal in the title-clinching 3-1 win over West Ham.
However, he is set to miss the rest of the 2024-25 campaign after his ACL injury in a 2-2 draw with Arsenal this season.
Harry Kane and Kylian Mbappe shared the Gerd Muller Trophy – the award for the best goalscorer – after both scoring 52 goals in all competitions last season.
With Real Madrid and France forward Mbappe absent, England captain Kane was presented the award alone following a stellar first season with Bayern Munich.
“Thank you to my club Bayern Munich, all my staff, team-mates, for helping me score all the goals I scored,” said Kane, who finished 10th in the Ballon d’Or men’s award standings.
“It’s an honour to take this award from a club legend [Karl-Heinz Rummenigge] – thank you very much.”
Ballon d’Or top 10
Rodri (Spain and Manchester City)
Vinicius Jr (Brazil and Real Madrid)
Jude Bellingham (England and Real Madrid)
Dani Carvajal (Spain and Real Madrid)
Erling Haaland (Norway and Manchester City)
Kylian Mbappe (France and PSG/Real Madrid)
Lautaro Martinez (Argentina and Inter Milan)
Lamine Yamal (Spain and Barcelona)
Toni Kroos (Germany and Real Madrid)
Harry Kane (England and Bayern Munich)
Coaching prizes
Carlo Ancelotti and Emma Hayes won the inaugural Johan Cruyff Awards, given to the best coaches in the men’s and women’s games at the 2024 Ballon d’Or ceremony.
Ancelotti guided Real Madrid to a record-extending 15th Champions League crown – the fifth of his managerial career – last season as well as the La Liga title.
Hayes steered Chelsea to a fifth consecutive Women’s Super League (WSL) title last season, as well as the final of the Women’s League Cup and the semi-finals of the Women’s Champions League and Women’s FA Cup.
At the end of last season Hayes left Chelsea to become head coach of the United States women’s team.
Hayes’ side beat Brazil 1-0 in the final at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, winning gold for the first time in 12 years.
Neither were in Paris to collect their awards as Hayes is in the United States before a game against Argentina, and Real Madrid did not send any representatives to the ceremony.
Women’s awards
Spain and Barcelona midfielder Aitana Bonmati won the women’s Ballon d’Or for the second year in a row.
Bonmati won every possible trophy at club level last season as Barcelona secured a historic quadruple – winning Liga F, the Champions League, Supercopa and Copa de la Reina.
The 26-year-old scored a career-best tally of 19 goals across all four competitions.
Bonmati also spearheaded Spain’s charge to the inaugural Women’s Nations League title in February with four goals, including one in their 2-0 win over France in the final.
“Thank you so much for your applause. I’m so grateful to be here to receive this award for the second time,” Bonmati said after she received the award in Paris.
“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.”
England’s Lauren James achieved a 13th-place finish in the voting, while her Lionesses team-mates Lucy Bronze and Lauren Hemp finished 20th and 28th, respectively.
Emma Hayes became the first winner of the women’s coach of the year award after leading Chelsea to a fifth straight Women’s Super League title before guiding the United States to Olympic gold at Paris 2024.
The award, officially called the Ballon d’Or Feminin, recognises the best footballer of the year and is voted for by a jury of journalists from each of the top 100 countries in the Fifa men’s world ranking.
Bonmati won the 2023 award after helping her club triumph in the Spanish top flight and Champions League, and Spain claim their first Women’s World Cup.
The playmaker joins compatriot and Barcelona team-mate Alexia Putellas as the only players to have won the Women’s Ballon d’Or – which was first awarded in 2018 – twice.
Bonmati netted the first goal in Barca’s Champions League final triumph over Lyon and was named the tournament’s player of the season.
After winning the inaugural award for women’s club of the year in 2023, Barcelona picked up the award again after their success in Liga F, the Champions League, Supercopa and Copa de la Reina.
Barcelona’s president Joan Laporta said: “We are really honoured. Thanks to all the people in the club, especially the players who are working really hard to make Barcelona have the best women’s football team in the world.
The club had six players nominated for the women’s Ballon d’Or.
Spain’s Jennifer Hermoso was awarded with the Socrates Award, which recognises humanitarian work off the pitch.
Women’s Ballon d’Or top 10
Aitana Bonmati (Spain and Barcelona)
Caroline Graham Hansen (Norway and Barcelona)
Salma Paralluelo (Spain and Barcelona)
Sophia Smith (United States and Portland Thorns)
Lindsey Horan (United States and Lyon)
Mallory Swanson (United States and Chicago Red Stars)
Marie-Antoinette Katoto (France and Paris St-Germain)
Mariona Caldentey (Spain and Barcelona/Arsenal)
Trinity Rodman (United States and Washington Spirit)
Alexia Putellas (Spain and Barcelona)
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