Spanish midfielders Rodri and Aitana Bonmatí have received the boys’s and girls’s Ballon d’Or award for the world’s greatest soccer gamers.
The 28-year-old Rodri received the distinguished award for the primary time after serving to Manchester Metropolis win the Premier League and being a key participant in Spain’s European Championship triumph. He succeeded eight-time winner Lionel Messi of Argentina.
Rodri put his fingers over his face when his title was learn out by former winner George Weah.
“Unimaginable night time for me,” stated Rodri, who’s out for the season after injuring his ACL final month and arrived on crutches to the ceremony.
“Certainly one of my key issues is I at all times attempt to enhance each recreation.”
The 26-year-old Bonmatí retained her award after serving to Barcelona win the Spanish league, the Spanish cup and the Champions League. Bonmatí joined Barca teammate Alexia Putellas in profitable two titles because the ladies’s trophy was first awarded in 2018.
She beat her teammates Caroline Graham Hansen of Norway and Salma Paralluelo of Spain as Barcelona accomplished a 1-2-3.
“It is a pleasure to be right here once more,” stated Bonmatí, who obtained the award from Oscar winner Natalie Portman.
“Due to my teammates and the golf equipment who make me a greater soccer participant yearly.”
Vinícius Júnior was among the many 4 males’s finalists together with his Actual Madrid teammates Jude Bellingham and Dani Carvajal. However nobody from Madrid attended the gala in central Paris, regardless that Carlo Ancelotti received the coach of the yr award.
Vinícius had been seen as one of many favourites for the award till making the choice to not journey to Paris for the ceremony.
The choice was made by Madrid, in response to an individual who works with Vinícius and spoke to The Related Press on situation of anonymity as a result of he wasn’t authorised to discuss the participant’s whereabouts publicly.
Studies have steered the choice to not attend the ceremony got here after it was leaked that Rodri would win the boys’s award forward of Vinícius.
Vinícius completed second within the voting, with Bellingham third.
Vinícius Júnior got here second within the males’s award having been the favorite to win. (Getty Pictures: Denis Doyle)
Neither Messi nor Cristiano Ronaldo — winners of the distinguished particular person award a mixed 13 occasions — had been within the operating for this yr’s prize, the primary time that is occurred since 2003.
Whereas Rodri isn’t a flamboyant participant or a prolific scorer like Messi and Ronaldo, he had an enormous affect on Metropolis’s workforce together with his capacity to guard the defence and distribute passes cleanly from the again.
“I attempt to be a frontrunner and attempt to enhance day by day from the very best,” Rodri stated.
Metropolis regarded unbeatable at occasions with him within the facet, whereas his wonderful technical capacity enabled him to fit easily into the quick-passing type made so efficient by Spain at Euro 2024.
Bonmatí scored 19 objectives for the second straight season for Barca and this yr has netted 5 in 5 video games for Spain, taking her worldwide tally to 26.
The Ballon d’Or was created by France Soccer journal and has been awarded since 1956 for the boys, and since 2018 for the ladies. It’s voted for by journalists from the highest 100 nations within the FIFA rankings.
Every journalist, one per nation, selects 10 gamers in ranked order, with factors attributed to every place. The winner is the participant who receives essentially the most factors. Not like FIFA’s awards for the very best gamers annually, followers aren’t a part of the voting system.
Yamal’s trophy and different awards
Spain’s Lamine Yamal received the under-21 award for greatest younger footballer on the planet. (Reuters: Leonhard Simon)
On night time for Spain and Barca gamers, teen prodigy Lamine Yamal — the youngest-ever scorer at a European Championship — received the Kopa award for greatest under-21 participant and Barca received the very best ladies’s workforce award.
Actual Madrid was voted the very best males’s workforce.
Former PSG ahead Kylian Mbappé and Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane shared the Gerd Mueller award for many membership and nation objectives final season with 52. Mbappé joined Madrid in the course of the low season.
Argentina’s penalty-saving specialist Emiliano Martínez retained the Lev Yashin award for greatest goalkeeper.
Ancelotti and Olympic-winning coach Emma Hayes received the Johan Cruyff award for greatest males’s and girls’s coach.
Spain ahead Jenni Hermoso, who has fought sexism in Spanish soccer after she was kissed on the lips ultimately yr’s Girls’s World Cup last by former federation president Luis Rubiales, collected the Socrates award for humanitarian work.
A particular award was given by France Soccer to the spouse and son of late Germany nice Franz Beckenbauer.
AP/ABC
