In the history of the Ballon d’Or, which goes from 1956 to today, there are illustrious names such as Puskas, Iniesta, Baresi, Ribery and Paolo Maldini who have never received this prestigious award. Even Maradona, unfortunately excluded due to the rule that limited the award to European footballers, received a Ballon d’Or for his career in 1996. The list of those excluded is long and full of controversy regarding the choice of winners. This year, the young Vinicius seemed destined to receive the award for 2024 but was overtaken by Manchester City’s Rodri, who won the Ballon d’Or. This event provoked an unprecedented reaction from Real Madrid, the club with the most trophies in this category.

Rodri played a key role in Manchester City’s Champions League victory two seasons ago and led Spain to Euro 2024 glory with a flawless run. Spanish coach De La Fuente said Rodri deserved the accolade and was critical of Real Madrid’s absence from the ceremony. The red carpet at the Chatelet Theatre was also made special by the presence of many footballers and actress Natalie Portman, who announced Aitana Bonmati as the winner of the Women’s Ballon d’Or.

During the evening, the names of the top ten players were revealed; Lautaro Martinez was seventh, the best representative of Serie A in a ranking without any Italians. However, a few hours before the ceremony, Florentino Perez cancelled his private flight from Madrid to Paris to protest the lack of respect towards the club by the organizers. Carvajal and Bellingham also did not leave with him. Perez’s explanation was clear: “We don’t go where they don’t respect us”. Sources within the club firmly stated: “For us, the Ballon d’Or no longer exists”.

The debate over this subjective award intensifies every year and is reminiscent of the past rivalries between Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, which led to much criticism regarding the choice of winners. This year, the voting system was returned to journalists after excluding captains and coaches from the final decision. Finally, Lamine Yamal was also awarded during the evening as best young footballer and Emma Hayes as best coach. Jenny Hermoso received the Socrates Award for her commitment to social football, highlighting the importance of a sporting environment free of gender violence for future generations of female footballers.