The Ballon d’Or returned to the realm of normalcy in 2022 when Karim Benzema won the coveted prize. It was the first time since 2007 when Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo were not in the top two. There was one last hurrah from the otherworldly duopoly in 2023 when Messi won his record-extending eighth Ballon d’Or—largely owing to his influence at the 2022 Qatar World Cup.
Now, just a year since Messi left for the US, thus freeing European clubs from their Messi-Ronaldo nightmares, the quality of the favourites is a far cry from what it was during the peak of the two greats. That is not to say this year’s contenders are any less deserving. It is just a natural correction, back to what was normal before more than a decade of utter domination. It will just take some time to get used to this perceived drop in quality.
The absence of an overwhelming favourite this year had made things rather interesting. That is until the winner was leaked, according to reports in Spain. If these reports are to be believed, Vinicius Jr has won his first Ballon d’Or.
Real Madrid's Brazilian winger had 26 goals and 12 assists for club and country in 2023-24. There was no dearth of attack-focused players with better numbers—Jude Bellingham, Lautaro Martinez, Kylian Mbappe, Harry Kane, Phil Foden, Florian Wirtz and Erling Haaland all beat Vini Jr in terms of goal contributions. But, there is also no doubt that Vini had a better club season than all of them and that he was the best attacking player on the planet in 2023-24.
His performances in big matches were truly remarkable, particularly memorable were a hat-trick versus Barcelona and his impact deep into the UEFA Champions League. He was chosen as the best player in the UCL and made the La Liga team of the season, highlighting his importance in Real Madrid’s double success. Bellingham was chosen as the player of the Spanish league and he was an early favourite to claim this year’s Ballon d’Or. But, a less remarkable second half of the season that ended with a disappointing Euro 2024 meant that the Englishman fell down the pecking order. Vini also had a bad summer with Brazil. And this made the Ballon d’Or contest close. If he had gone deeper at the Copa America, Vinicius would have become the favourite to win.
Also, it could be argued that he is the best footballer in the world at the moment. So, if he wins, the Ballon d’Or would be with the best attacker of the season gone by who is also the world’s best player. That all seems perfect. But, there is one problem. He was not the best player of the 2023-24 season, just the best attacker.
The now-injured Rodri was immaculate for the entirety of the season, except for the team’s very last match—the FA Cup final. But, he made up for that failure with an outstanding Euro 2024, in which he was named the player of the tournament. Apart from the way he dictates the game for his teams, Rodri also contributed a stunning 12 goals and 15 assists.
But, it is a fact that the Ballon d’Or favours attacking players. So, it would be unfair to begrudge Vini his award. While his numbers may not have been Messi-esque or Ronaldo-esque, some of his performances certainly were. And, the fact that those performances came when his club needed him most makes him a worthy winner. But, Rodri, who put in such performances in all but one match should be remembered as equally worth, even if he does not win.