Rodri WINS the Ballon d’Or as Real Madrid boycott Paris ceremony following Vinicius Jr snub, with injured Man City star capping glorious year after Euro 2024 and Premier League triumphs

A hobbling Rodri was crowned the best player in world football after Real Madrid boycotted the ceremony when they learned Vinicius Junior would not win the Ballon d’Or.

Manchester City star Rodri — out for the season with a double knee injury — became the first Premier League player to win the award since Cristiano Ronaldo in 2008. 

The Spain midfielder received the honour on crutches at the Theatre du Chatelet. 

Rodri, 28, helped City to a fourth straight league title this year and was an integral member of Spain’s European Championship winning side. Rodri has lost only one club game in 18 months.

Real withdrew their 50-strong delegation just hours before the ceremony after Vinicius, the Brazil winger who had been the bookies’ favourite for the prize, was reportedly tipped off that he hadn’t won. 

Real won team of the year and Carlo Ancelotti was named men’s coach of the year, but no one was present to collect the awards.

Soaking in the adulation on Monday night, the visibly emotional midfielder said: ‘Incredible night for me today. If you will let me, I would like to speak in my language of my country.

In Spanish, he added: ‘I always said that one of my key things is that I try to improve every day. 

‘I was a traditional midfielder but when I realised I needed to get better in terms of assists and goals. You have to be like a striker because we always play in the frontal area. That is the key to improving every day. 

‘People don’t know me much, I am just a normal guy. I try to enjoy my profession, try to be a good person, a leader, and learn every day from the best. 

‘I am a calm person until I get upset. I am a normal guy and try to say to my kids that you don’t need to be crazy and try to do your best. 

‘I am feeling much better. A big big injury, it’s part of life and sport. I try to look at the best part of this and be positive.’ 

In the two most excruciating moments of the glamorous affair, Carlo Ancelotti won Men’s Coach of the Year while Real bagged Men’s Team of the Year. Both prizes went uncollected after every club representative decided to join Vinicius in his boycott.

Meanwhile, Aitana Bonmati clinched the Women’s Ballon d’Or, Lamine Yamal walked away with the Kopa Trophy and Emi Martinez secured the Yashin Trophy.

Harry Kane picked up the Gerd Muller award for goalscoring and Emma Hayes then won the Women’s Coach of the Year award. 

In what was the worst kept secret in football, Rodri pipped the likes of Vinicius and Jude Bellingham to the prestigious prize, much to the ire of Los Blancos.

After news broke earlier today that the selection panel had chosen the midfielder as this year’s victor, Real and Vinicius decided to pull the plug on their trip to the gala, held at the Theatre du Chatelet.

The Spanish giants had hoped that if their Brazilian forward was not given the nod, right-back Dani Carvajal might be handed the gong after winning La Liga, the Champions League and the Euros. 

But when it was leaked today that Rodri was in fact the winner, Real reacted furiously and not a single club representative was there to watch their team win several honours at the event and their players place highly in the main list.

Amid the furore, Ballon d’Or organisers urged on Monday afternoon ahead of the ceremony: ‘No player and no club knows the winner of this year’s Ballon d’Or yet.’ 

The rumours proved to be true, however, and Rodri will take the famous prize back to Manchester to cap a glorious year.

Appearing at the event on crutches as he recovers from an anterior cruciate ligament injury, the Spaniard received gentle boos from Vinicius advocates as he hobbled down the red carpet with his wife Laura Iglesias.

Showing the kind of poise that has taken City to a glut of trophies since his arrival, Rodri paused with his crutches and waved at the crowd for a couple of seconds, placating the masses. 

Ahead of his triumph tonight, he said: ‘[I’m] feeling good. It’s the first month of recovery. It’s a long way to go but happy to be here.

 ‘It’s a pleasure to be nominated. It’s always a huge step for me. Last year was my first year. I don’t know anything, let’s see what happens.’

As the evening slowly built to its climax, the lower places of the list were littered with Premier League stars including Arsenal’s Martin Odegaard in 19th, Aston Villa’s Emi Martinez in 18th and City’s Phil Foden in 11th.

In the meantime, Barcelona’s Yamal, 17, completed a sensational breakthrough year by picking up the Kopa Trophy for best young player, becoming the first under 18 to win the award as Manchester United’s Kobbie Mainoo came third. 

The announcement of Men’s Club of the Year saw Los Blancos pick up the honour, with the trophy going uncollected in a moment only matched for awkwardness when Ancelotti won Men’s Coach of the Year minutes later.

Martinez earned back-to-back triumphs in the Yashin Trophy for best goalkeeper after he helped Argentina to Copa America glory this summer. 

Real’s Kylian Mbappe bagged sixth place while Erling Haaland had to settle for fifth. The Los Blancos pair of Carvajal and Bellingham narrowly missed out on the top spots.

Spanish midfielder Bonmati was presented with the Women’s Ballon d’Or by Hollywood star Natalie Portman, winning the honour for the second year in a row.

The event was rounded off with Rodri’s emotional triumph, announced by 1995 winner George Weah, which was received well by the Parisian crowd.

One man who was left less than impressed was runner-up Vinicius, who broke his silence on X minutes after the finale.

‘I’ll do it 10x if I have to. They’re not ready,’ he said, hinting at future successes. 

RMC reported earlier today that ‘Real president Florentino Perez is furious’ at his players’ rejections and as a consequence, the ‘Real Madrid delegation has cancelled its visit to Paris’. 

Posting on social media platform X, news page MadridXtra shared a quote from journalist Jose Luis Sanchez, saying: ’50 people from Real Madrid were scheduled to travel to the Ballon d’Or Gala today. 

‘They cancelled the trip when they found out Vinicius wasn’t the winner. Real Madrid are FURIOUS. @JLSanchez78’.

ESPN Brazil even went onto confirm that Real sources labelled the decision as ‘historic robbery’.

Meanwhile, Marca reported that Real insiders have even claimed ‘the Ballon d’Or no longer exists for us’.

Vinicius was a hot favourite to win the 2024 Ballon d’Or after his epic contribution leading Madrid’s frontline to a LaLiga-UEFA Champions League double. 

The Brazilian, 24, hit six goals and four assists in ten Champions League appearances and tallied 20 goal involvements in 26 La Liga matches. 

‘If the criteria of the award do not proclaim Vinicius the winner, those same criteria must proclaim Carvajal the winner,’ the club reportedly stated.

‘Since this has not been the case, it is obvious that the Ballon d’Or and UEFA do not respect Real Madrid. And Real Madrid is not where it is not respected.’