Kylian Mbappe has revealed his shock that Manchester City’s Rodri won the 2024 Ballon d’Or ahead of Real Madrid star Vinicius Junior.
Vinicius had widely been regarded as the favorite for football’s most prestigious individual award, so much so that officials from Real Madrid were so dismayed at the decision that they boycotted the ceremony in protest.
“When asked about Ousmane Dembele’s chances of winning the award, Mbappe pointed out that Rodri was a surprise winner and spoke to Le Parisien.
“What would you qualify as a Ballon d’Or player? Rodri, is he a Ballon d’Or player for you? Mbappe questioned. “At first, I didn’t think so. I thought Vinicius would and then Rodri won.
“If I’d said that three months ago, people would have thought I was nuts. Now, we don’t know who will prevail. And all players, including goalkeepers, have an opportunity.”
Manager Carlo Ancelotti defended Madrid’s boycott of the event while maintaining the position of the club as he spoke ahead of their Champions League win over City.
“We thought that Vinicius deserved it,” Ancelotti said. “That’s not meaning we don’t respect Rodri — he is an incredible player. But in my view, he should have won it the year before.”
