Ballon d'Or 2024: How Rodri beat Vinicius Junior, what did the voters look at?

3 weeks ago 2

The 2024 Ballon d'Or award is set to join a list of other controversial decisions in previous years after Rodri won it
The Manchester City midfielder beat Vinicius Junior, who, until Monday afternoon, was the perceived winner of the award
TUKO.co.ke looks at the specific criteria the voters look at and why many of them chose Rodri as the best player of the year

There was a meltdown of insane proportions online on Monday afternoon after it emerged that Vinicius Junior, after months of speculation, would not win the 2024 Ballon d'Or award.

Real Madrid withdrew its sizeable delegation and lofty plans to cover the Paris ceremony, sending out a clear sign that the Golden Ball won't be returning to the Bernabeu.

Rodri, 2024 Ballon d'Or Award, Vinicius Junior, how the Ballon d'Or process works

Did Rodri deserve the Ballon d'Or?

And true to the signs, an injured and emotional Rodri was announced as the winner of the award in front of distinguished guests at the Théâtre du Châtelet.

Following Vinicius Junior's snub, a section of fans have branded the award 'a farce' and 'robbery,' among many other things.

How Ballon d'Or winners are voted for

The decision reawakened the conversation about what exactly the voters look at. 100 journalists from FIFA's top 100 ranked nations select their top 10 winners from a list of 30 nominees. As explained on UEFA's website, the ten selected players are awarded 15, 12, 10, 8, 7, 5, 4, 3, 2, and 1 point, respectively. The points are then collated, and the player with the most points wins the award.

How Ballon d'Or winners are chosen

Given that it is voting, the process is as subjective as it gets. A journalist from a particular country can easily disregard the favourites and vote for his compatriot. But let's say it was an objective process; what criteria should they use? TUKO.co.ke breaks it down and compares it to Rodri's season.

1. Individual performance in the previous season

Given that it is a seasonal award, Rodri's 2023/2024 season was compared to his rivals. The last time Rodri lost a Premier League was in February 2023. Pep Guardiola's side struggled to cope without him every time he was absent.

He made the champions tick en route to their historic fourth crown. Afterwards, he headed to Germany and replicated the same performance with Spain, winning the title and Euro's Most Valuable Player.

The 28-year-old also chipped in with 12 goals and 15 assists, which for a defensive midfielder is impressive.

On the flipside, Vinicius Junior was the star of Real Madrid's Champions League run. He also won La Liga, but his teammate Jude Bellingham was awarded the league's MVP. His struggles with Brazil at Copa America did not do him any favours.

In the end, a majority of voters seemingly decided that Rodri had done enough for the club and country compared to the former Flamengo star.

2. Team success during the previous season

Rodri's performances helped his sides to the Super Cup, Premier League and Euro 2024, while Vinicius Junior won the Champions League, La Liga and Supercopa Espana.

Real Madrid's argument has been that if Vinicius Junior didn't fit the criteria the voters wanted, then the winner should have been Dani Carvajal, who won both the Champions League and Euros.

3. Class and fair play

Vinicius Junior's run-ins with opponents and fans during his time in Spain are well-documented. The Brazilian has been very vocal in calling out racist behaviour, which has often put him at loggerheads with many people.

While Vinicius' on-pitch behaviour hasn't been aesthetically pleasing, it is equally fair to note that Rodri was dismissed last season for violent conduct after grabbing Morgan Gibbs-White by the throat.

Be the judge. Was Rodri the deserved winner?