In an interview with the newspaper As, Rodri responded to Cristiano Ronaldo after his criticism of his Ballon d’Or obtained in 2024. The Portuguese, five times winner of the award, considered the Spaniard’s choice “unfair”.
Since obtaining his Golden Ball on October 28, Rodri (28 years old) has not given an interview without having to justify the merit of this prestigious prize. In an interview with As this Thursday, the Manchester City midfielder was asked about recent criticism from Cristiano Ronaldo, who allegedly awarded the award to Vinicius. “It was unfair,” said the five-time Ballon d’Or winner. “They gave it to Rodrigo who deserves it too. But I think they had to give it to Vinicius because he won the Champions League. He scored in the final (2-0 against Dortmund).”
“It’s really a surprise”
An astonishing statement for Rodri. “It’s really a surprise, because he knows better than anyone how this prize works and especially how the winner is chosen,” said the Spanish international, crowned European champion with La Roja last summer. “This year, the journalists who voted felt that I should win it. They were probably the same journalists who, at one point, voted for him to win, and I imagine at that point it was d ‘agreement.”
-Despite the doubts and criticism surrounding this coronation, the midfielder relishes this honor of having been considered the best player in the world in 2024. “It changed my life,” he remarked. “I talked about it with those around me. Maybe I wasn’t aware of it when I won it, but it changed my life. The scale of the outings is no longer the same. A lot of things that I could do before, obviously, are no longer so But hey, it’s for a good reason, it’s because of this recognition that I had and which was so important for me and my family C. “It’s an unforgettable moment.”
Rodri received this trophy on crutches, a few weeks after suffering damage to the ligaments in his right knee. He hopes to be able to return to competition at the end of the season before the Nations League with Spain, then the Club World Cup with Manchester City. “Yes, I think so,” he said. “I don’t want to confirm anything, but my idea is to try to come back a little earlier. It’s in my head. These are the two big tournaments that I have in mind for this year.”
