Manchester City midfielder Rodri has admitted he was surprised by Cristiano Ronaldo’s criticism of his Ballon d’Or triumph, insisting the Portuguese star understands better than most how the prestigious award is decided, with Softfootball noting Ronaldo believed Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior deserved to win the honour instead.
Rodri edged out Vinicius to claim the 2024 Ballon d’Or, a result that prompted Real Madrid to boycott the ceremony in Paris in protest.
Speaking later at the Globe Soccer Awards, Ronaldo argued that Vinicius should have been recognized after helping Madrid win the UEFA Champions League and scoring in the final.
Ronaldo said:
In my opinion, he deserved to win the Golden Ball. It was unfair, in my opinion. They gave it to Rodri, he deserved it too, but they should have given it to Vinicius because he won the Champions League and scored in the final.
Responding to those remarks, Rodri expressed surprise at Ronaldo’s stance, pointing out that the Ballon d’Or is decided by journalists rather than individual opinions.
He told AS:
Well, it was a surprise, really, because he knows better than anyone how this award works and, above all, how the winner is chosen.
The Spain international added:
This year, the journalists who voted have decided that I should win it. Probably, these same journalists were the ones who at some point voted for him to win it, and I imagine that then he would have agreed.
Rodri is currently recovering from the serious cruciate ligament injury he suffered during Manchester City’s Premier League draw with Arsenal in September.
