- Kylian Mbappe, who plays for Real Madrid and represents France, has entered the discussion surrounding the Ballon d'Or controversy that garnered significant attention towards the end of last year.
- Manchester City's Rodri outperformed Vinicius Junior from Monaco, though his victory sparked varied reactions.
- The footballer who has won the World Cup was questioned about his national team member Ousmane Dembele and whether he could potentially win it as well.
Rodri's victory at the 2024 Ballon d'Or ignited passionate discussions among soccer enthusiasts.
Despite being the favorite to win, Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior lost out to Rodri, and as a result, the Brazilian player did not attend the award ceremony.
His fellow Real Madrid player Kylian Mbappe has expressed his views on the prize for 2024.
What were Mbappe's comments regarding the Ballon d'Or?
Following their outstanding performances for both club and nation during the season, Rodri and Vinicius Jr emerged as the top contenders for the 2024 Ballon d'Or award.
In the 2024 Champions League final versus Borussia Dortmund, Vinicius Jr found the back of the net; however, his displays for Brazil during the Copa America did not measure up to expectations.
On the contrary, Rodri claimed victory in the Premier League with Manchester City prior to leading Spain to success at the Euros in Germany.
After discovering that Vinicius Jr was not going to win the award, both he and Real Madrid chose not to participate in the ceremony. This choice led to significant criticism from supporters.
Mbappe believes his teammate deserved the accolade. When questioned about whether his French national teammate Ousmane Dembele had a chance of winning the award, he expressed this sentiment.
"What defines a Ballon d'Or recipient? By this, do you consider Rodri as such?" he started. "Initially, I didn’t think of him in those terms; my belief was that the Ballon d’Or would be awarded to Vinicius. However, unexpectedly, it ended up going to Rodri," he shared with 90min.
Three months ago, if I had mentioned this to you, you would have responded with, 'What are you talking about?'.
Mohamed Salah Raphinha have been mentioned as potential contenders for the 2025 award.
Rodri blasts Vini Jr and Real Madrid
The Spanish national team player was displeased with Vinicius Jr.'s absence from the event. He stated that regardless of how the voting turned out, they should have been present at the occasion.
"Even if you're not the ultimate victor, it's beneficial to participate when your worth is acknowledged at such a high standard," Rodri stated in an interview with France Football through Metro Sports.
Many prominent athletes, such as five-time champion Cristiano Ronaldo, believed that Vinicius Jr deserved the accolade more.
Understanding both victory and defeat is crucial. Additionally, this year, due to my injury and recovery process, participating in this event felt like a refreshing breeze,” Rodri commented.
Carlo Ancelotti, the manager of Real Madrid, supported his squad for their absence at the event, stating that they hold respect for Rodri.
For over a decade, the accolade was largely monopolized by Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, yet recently it has turned into an open contest for many contenders.
Rodri calls out Ronaldo
Pawonation.co.ke Previously mentioned was the statement from Rodri criticizing Ronaldo for claiming he should not have been awarded the Ballon d'Or.
The ex-Atletico Madrid midfielder stated that the Al-Nassr player must understand how the award functions.
Post a Comment