Ballon d’Or: Rodri gets the hooks out

French newspaper L’Equipe confirmed the final voting data, with Blancos star Vinicius Junior finishing second. The ceremony was memorably thrown into chaos on October 28, with Real Madrid opting for a sensational boycott of the awards after being informed that Vinicius had not won it.

The final tallies show how close the race was between eventual winner Rodri and Vinicius Jr, with the former leading the race by just 41 votes according to France Football. Rodri spoke to FF about his joy at winning the award for the first time in his career and his reaction to Real Madrid’s bizarre stance on Vinicius Jr.

Rodri tackles the Real

“When your value is recognized at a very high level, final winner or not, it’s good to come,” he declared.

“Knowing how to win but also knowing how to lose is important. This year, with my injury and the rehabilitation, this event was like a breath of fresh air. When I made the decision to leave, it was a superb evening.”

The Manchester City midfielder has remained in Spain as part of the next phase of his injury rehabilitation program as he remains sidelined until at least June following knee surgery last month last.