Ballon d'Or 2024: Toni Kroos chides Award organisers, insists it has no place in football

• The 2024 Ballon d'Or Awards ceremony left a sour taste in the mouth of Toni Kroos, who slammed the organisers
• The retired German midfielder insists individual awards like the Ballon d'Or should not be given premium attention
• He made this assertion on the heels of Man City's Rodri clinching the prestigious prize ahead of Vinicius

Former Real Madrid midfielder Toni Kroos has voiced his discontent over the Ballon d'Or decision to award Manchester City's Rodrigo Cascante the top prize, bypassing fan-favourite Vinicius Junior.

Widely expected to claim the honour, Vinicius entered Monday as the frontrunner, but it was Rodri who ultimately lifted the esteemed trophy.

Toni Kroos didn't hesitate to share his feelings about Rodri's Ballon d'Or success after his former teammate Vinicius Junior was snubbed. Photos by Diego Souto and Franck Fife.
Source: UGC

Rodri pips Vinicius to Ballon d'Or

Rodri’s victory, propelled by an impressive season in which he captured both the Premier League with Manchester City and the European Championship with Spain, marks him as the first midfielder since Luka Modric in 2018 to earn the Ballon d'Or.

Reports from Spain hinted at the decision hours before the Paris ceremony, dampening hopes among Real Madrid supporters.

Kroos slams Ballon d'Or Awards

In response, Kroos, who retired after Germany lost to Rodri's Spain at Euro 2024, expressed his scepticism about the role of individual awards in a team-oriented sport.

"Rodri will win the Ballon d'Or," Kroos remarked, per Fabrizio Romano. "I’ve never seen the importance of these individual awards in football; they have no place."

Rodri reacts after winning Ballon d'Or

When Rodri took the stage at the Theatre du Chatelet, supported by crutches due to a recent ACL injury, he humbly attributed his achievement to the broader legacy of Spanish football.

“Today is not a victory for me,” he reflected, as cited by the BBC“, but for Spanish football, and for many players who never won it but deserved it, like Iniesta, Xavi, Casillas, and Busquets. This is for Spanish football and for the figure of the midfielder.”

By securing this historic win, Rodri became the first Manchester City player to receive the Ballon d'Or.

Vinicius breaks silence after Awards snub

Meanwhile, Real Madrid's Vinicius, who came in second place, has opened up after narrowly missing out on winning the 2024 Ballon d'Or Award.

Following the announcement, Vinicius broke his silence with a powerful social media post, sharing his resolve to keep striving for the prize.

Rodri selects potential future winner

In a related report, Legit.ng highlighted that newly crowned Ballon d'Or winner Rodri offered his thoughts on who might claim the prestigious award in the future.

The Manchester City midfielder shared his prediction shortly after surpassing Vinicius Junior to win the Golden Ball on Monday night.

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Source: YEN.com.gh