Rodri addresses his competition with Vinicius Jr. in Ballon d’Or

This year’s Ballon d’Or rivalry between Real Madrid striker Vinicius Junior and Manchester City’s Rodri has begun. The two have had an incredible football year and are the front-runners for the prized award. This year, the football world will crown a new champion; Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are not in the competition.

This Year we have new competitors for the prize

Neither of the two players made it onto the final 30-man shortlist for this year’s major prize. It’s interesting to note that the Argentine has a record eight Ballon d’Or victories. In contrast, the Portuguese has won five accolades. But it’s possible that their exclusion from the list of nominees signals the end of their reign in international football.

Among the front-runners for the honor this year are Rodri and Vinicius Junior. The Spanish midfielder led La Roja to victory in Euro 2024 and assisted Manchester City in winning the Premier League the previous season. The Brazilian, on the other hand, had a fantastic season with Los Blancos. The 24-year-old played a pivotal role in Real Madrid’s victory in both the Champions League and La Liga. But in Copa America, Vinicius was unable to leave his mark with the Selecao, losing to Uruguay in the quarterfinals of the competition.

Rodri’s statement about his rival

Manchester City midfielder Rodri has played down talk of a rivalry with Real Madrid’s Vinicius Jr. in the race for the 2024 Ballon d’Or. The Spanish international, who is among the favorites for the prestigious award, acknowledged Vinicius’ quality while expressing pride at being in contention. “People say I’m going to fight with Vinicius Jr, who is someone I admire. I think he’s a great player,” said Rodri (via Madrid Xtra).

The other important competitors in the race for trophy

In addition to Vinicius Junior, the La Liga winners Jude Bellingham, Federico Valverde, Dani Carvajal, Kylian Mbappe, and Antonio Rudiger are also on this year’s list of nominees. As a result, there is a good likelihood that the Ballon d’Or prize will end up in Santiago Bernabeu. But Rodri’s accomplishments also can’t be discounted. The 28-year-old is said to have admirers at Real Madrid in addition to being one of the best players in the world in his position.

The Spaniard has been fantastic for Manchester City lately, contributing to their historic triple victory in the 2023–24 season. As such, he is probably going to present Vinicius with some serious challenge in this year’s race for the coveted award. Rodri recently gave a glowing speech in which he praised the Brazilian.

On October 28, 2024, the 2024 Ballon d’Or trophy winner will be revealed.