Rodri named 2024 Ballon d'Or winner

Rodri can add to his trophy case.

The Spanish midfielder earned the 2024 Ballon d'Or over fellow finalists Vinicius Junior of Brazil and Jude Bellingham of England.

“Incredible night for me,” Rodri said. “One of my key things is I always try to improve every game.

“I just want to say thank you again to the people who recognize my value in the game. When I was a kid I never thought of winning the Ballon d’Or, but in the last years I’ve been playing the highest level.”

Three of the top four finishers were Real Madrid players, with Vini Jr. coming in second, Bellingham placing third and Dani Carvajal placing fourth. But no one from the La Liga club attended the award ceremony in Paris in an apparent protest of the results.

Real Madrid's Carlo Ancelotti, who was named the men's Coach of the Year, wrote the following on X: "I want to thank my Family, my President, my Club, my Players and above all Vini and Carvajal."

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Vini Jr. also took to X following his second-place finish, writing in Portuguese, “I’ll do it 10x if needed. They are not ready."

Rodri, 28, came out on top at both the club and national level in 2024. He won his fourth consecutive Premier League title with Manchester City in the spring before winning Euro 2024 with Spain while being named Player of the Tournament.

Vini Jr. and Bellingham earned La Liga and Champions League titles with Real Madrid this year. Vini Jr. sealed Madrid's Champions League final against Borussia Dortmund with a late goal, while Bellingham was instrumental in England's run to the Euro final.

Both Vini Jr. and Bellingham, along with the likes of Erling Haaland, Kylian Mbappé and Harry Kane, outscored Rodri by a wide margin. However, as a defensive midfielder, Rodri's all-around impact swayed the panel of 100 soccer writers from across the globe in charge of deciding the Ballon d'Or winner.

It will be a while before Rodri can return to the field, as he suffered a season-ending torn ACL during a match against Arsenal in September.

Two of the world's most famous athletes were not among the finalists for the first time in more than two decades.

Lionel Messi, who became an eight-time Ballon d'Or recipient last year following his World Cup triumph with Argentina, was not among this year's finalists. Cristiano Ronaldo did not make the cut, either.

The 2024 women's Ballon d’Or winner was also a Spanish midfielder as Aitana Bonmatí took home the award for a second straight year after helping Barcelona win the Spanish league, the Spanish cup and the Champions League. Bonmatí, 26, joined Barca teammate Alexia Putellas in winning two titles since the women’s trophy was first awarded in 2018.

“It’s a pleasure to be here again,” said Bonmatí, who received the award from Oscar winner Natalie Portman. “Thanks to my teammates and the clubs who make me a better football player every year.”

The Associated Press contributed to this story.