BALLON D'OR
Rodri wins 2024 Ballon d’Or!
Rodri has been crowned the 2024 Ballon d’Or winner after an extraordinary year in which he helped Manchester City secure the Premier League title and played a pivotal role in Spain’s Euro 2024 triumph.
The trophy was presented to him by former Liberia president and the only African to have won the award, George Weah.
Despite being on crutches due to a recent ACL injury, Rodri was helped on stage by Didier Drogba to receive the prestigious award. The Manchester City midfielder looked visibly emotional as he lifted the Ballon d’Or trophy, capping off an unforgettable year in his career.
In another slightly awkward moment, Carlo Ancelotti has been named Men’s Coach of the Year for leading Real Madrid to yet another Champions League title.
However, with Real Madrid boycotting the ceremony, Ancelotti is absent, and there’s no acceptance speech to accompany the announcement.
Despite the absence, Ancelotti’s remarkable achievements this season speak for themselves, cementing his legacy as one of the greatest managers in soccer history.
Nigeria’s Ademola Lookman has been ranked number 14 at the Ballon’ d’Or currently going on at the Théâtre du Chatelet in Paris, France.
He is the only African to make the 30-player shortlist for the 2024 Ballon d’Or prize.
He is the second Nigerian to be nominated for the prize in two years.
With his position, he ranked better than some other top players.
Ballon d’Or, positions 30-11
- =29. Mats Hummels, Artem Dovbyk
- 28. Alejandro Grimaldo
- 27. Vitinha
- 26. Declan Rice
- 25. Cole Palmer
- 24. William Saliba
- 23. Ruben Dias
- 22. Antonio Rudiger
- 21. Bukayo Saka
- 20. Hakan Calhanoglu
- 19. Martin Odegaard
- 18. Emiliano Martinez
- 17. Federico Valverde
- 16. Granit Xhaka
- 15. Nico Williams
- 14. Ademola Lookman
- 13. Dani Olmo
- 12. Florian Wirtz
- 11. Phil Foden
Just hours to the 2024 Ballon d’Or, it is almost certain that initial favourite, Vinicius Jr, the Brazilian star of the Real Madrid will not be the winner.
Consequently, he along with his club members will not be attending the event tonight in Paris.
The pendulum swings mostly in Manchester City’s Rodri’s favour.
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