“Golden Ball” – The “Golden Ball”, the most prestigious individual award in the world of football, awarded since 1956, has once again found its owner. This award, given for the 68th time, was given to Rodri, midfielder for Manchester City and the Spanish national team. Voted as the best of the 2023/24 season, including last summer, Rodri left a new mark in football history with his tactical intelligence, his calm play and his incomparable support for the team.
“Caspian” This newspaper article is dedicated to Rodri’s winning the Ballon d’Or and the controversy surrounding it.
Rodri played an important role in Manchester City’s success last season. The midfielder, who played an important role in his team’s victory in the English Premier League championship, distinguished himself not only for his defensive qualities, but also for his effectiveness in attack. He scored eight goals and nine assists in 34 games. After winning the UEFA Super Cup, Ropdri’s team played in the quarterfinals of the Champions League. However, facing a rival like Real Madrid, the undisputed strongest in the history of this tournament, can sometimes cause the result to end differently even for the best. As a result, the “citizens” of Rodrili had to stop fighting with the future champion.
Rodri’s most brilliant period was when he won the European Championship with the Spanish team in the summer of this year. Rodri, one of the main figures of the team formed under the direction of Luis de la Fuente, was one of the vital figures of the team. He became one of the owners of the field in each game and distinguished himself by his effective performance in the defensive plan and directing the course of the game thanks to his intelligent passes. Thus, he played an important role in the final victory of the Spanish team.
Rodri’s success at the Euro Cup further increased his value. In the summer transfer market his price increased from 90 million euros to 130 million euros, and he became one of the most valuable players in the history of Spanish football. This is not just any result, in fact, it demonstrated once again the importance of Rhodri’s game.
This year, the main competition among the Ballon d’Or candidates was between Rodri and Vinicius Junior, the winger for Real Madrid and the Brazilian national team. Both players showed high-level performance throughout the season. In the end, Rhodri was chosen as the winner, while Vinicius took second place. The first ‘three’ was completed by another young Madrid star, Jud Bellingham. Another player from the “Royal Club”, Dani Carvajal, took fourth place. Fifth place went to Rodri’s teammate, Erling Holland.
The final classification disappointed Real Madrid, who even boycotted the awards ceremony in protest. Because, according to them, Vinicius was more deserving of the award.
The lack of clarity about the criteria used to select the winner of the “Ballon d’Or” is the main factor that aggravates the debate. Should the award be based on individual skill or should more emphasis be placed on the titles a player has won? This question divides fans in the world of football. If Vinicius attracted attention for his individual performance, Rodri stood out for his collective play and the titles he won. Some experts even argued that this award should go to Dani Carvajal, because he won both the Champions League and the Euro Cup like Rodri.
Real Madrid fans and the Club’s management claim that the tension between them and UEFA influenced the selection. According to them, the disputes related to the Super League project were also taken into account in the selection of the Ballon d’Or. One of the points that reinforces these claims is the participation of UEFA together with “France Football” in the organizational work of the awards ceremony.
In general, it is a well-known fact that not everyone is satisfied with option-based rewards. Those who consider Rodri, Vinicius and even Carvajal more worthy have valid arguments. However, counterarguments can be put forward such as Vinicius’ failure in the Copa América with the Brazilian team, Carvajal not being the main leader of the Spanish team or Real Madrid.
Perhaps this year’s award remains a symbol of football’s age-old tension between individual skill and collective triumph. But whatever happens, Rodri has already joined the ranks of the eternal football world champions crowned with the “Golden Ball” and this is his greatest achievement that will be remembered in the future.
