Long before France Football officially crowned the best men’s player this past season, the soccer world knew who it would be. The Ballon d’Or was Vinicius Junior’s to win. At least, that’s what was evident from the leaked rankings that emerged on the eve of the ceremony in Paris. But turns out it was Vinicius Junior’s to lose.

As we got closer and closer to the annual award ceremony, there were rumors that Vini already knew in September that he’d win the ultimate prize. But soon after those speculations were quashed, a largely-believed-to-be-accurate list of rankings was leaked, suggesting that the 24-year-old forward would win with 630 points compared to Spanish midfielder Rodri’s 576 points.

This list brought into question the merits of both players.

Vinicius Jr. has just been phenomenal for Real Madrid, solidifying himself as one of the most impressive forwards in the game. With speed, dribbling, and goal-scoring abilities, he was one of the key players in Real Madrid’s journey to winning both La Liga and the Champions League in the 2023-24 campaign. His prime blend of creativity and ability to open up defenses not only thrills the fans but also boosts his Ballon d’Or chances.

Meanwhile, Rodri has become one of the most complete midfielders in the world and has helped Manchester City win the treble. As one of the key holding midfielders for City, Rodri’s influence last season was unparalleled. He contributed not merely defensively but also with precise passing and great tactical intelligence. Rodri scored seven goals, including a memorable strike in the 2023 Champions League final, confirming his status as the core of Pep Guardiola’s tactical setup.

Back in February, Guardiola said, “Rodri always has the ability in important moments to score goals, so he’s an unbelievable player. He’s the best midfield player in the world currently because he is able to do everything.” Then, a couple of days ago, when asked by TNT Sports who he thinks should win the Ballon d’Or, the City manager’s response was simple. “Rodri… Because he’s the best.”

Rodri’s keen tactical vision – combining passing accuracy, ball recoveries, and keen tactical awareness – truly stands out, especially in high-stakes matches. His ability to control central areas is remarkable as well. But let’s compare their stats (for club and country) in the 2023-24 season: –

Considering they both play different positions, comparing just their goals and assists isn’t very indicative. So, let’s look at a few of their biggest contributions in the past season. As for the Brazilian forward, some of his best performances for Real Madrid came in the La Liga and the Champions League. Los Blancos didn’t lose a single match in either competition when Vinicius Junior was part of it.

More importantly, he scored twice in the first leg of the UCL semifinal against Bayern Munich. In the final against Borussia Dortmund, he scored the second goal to give Real Madrid a record 15th Champions League title. As for the Supercopa de España, the 24-year-old scored a hattrick against Barcelona in the semifinal on the way to another trophy.

On the international stage, the 24-year-old has had a rather quiet year, having scored only two goals for Brazil since June 2023. The national team also couldn’t make it past the quarterfinals in the 2024 Copa America.

When it comes to Rodri, he’s had a phenomenal season, too. His campaign with Manchester City included a 34-match unbeaten record (he played 34 of 38 matches) to a fourth-consecutive Premier League title, the UEFA Super Cup, and the Club World Cup. The Spaniard won all 11 competitive matches he played last season and was named in the Premier League Team of the Year for the second year running. But one of his best moments was winning Euro 2024 with Spain.

On the way to the trophy, Spain was down for the first time in the tournament in the Round of 16 match against Georgia. But when that happened, it was Rodri who stepped up and scored the equalizer, acting as the catalyst for the national team’s 4-1 victory. The 28-year-old hasn’t lost an international match with Spain since their 2-0 defeat to Scotland in March 2023, and in the 13 games where he wore Spain’s colors last season, Rodri scored thrice.

It’s safe to say the Spanish international is one of the finest defensive midfielders on the world scene at the moment. That said, if Vinicius Junior wins, he’ll become the first Ballon d’Or winner born in the 21st century. Interestingly, no one born in the 1990s has won the coveted prize, owing to the domination of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in the past couple of decades. So, if Rodri (28) wins the Ballon d’Or, he’ll become the first player born in the 90s to get his hands on the award. Vini’s scoring tally is impressive but falls short of the decisive and game-controlling performances of his rival, Rodri.

Update: Rodri did, in fact, win the Ballon d’Or on Monday night, becoming the first Premier League player to win it since Ronaldo in 2008. But it wasn’t without controversy.

Vinicius Junior and Real Madrid boycotted Rodri’s night

Before the event, reports suggested that the Brazilian forward wouldn’t be winning the Ballon d’Or. When Real Madrid caught wind of this, more reports highlighted that the La Liga defending champions wouldn’t be at the event. That was confirmed when the ceremony kicked off, and no one from the Spanish club was present at the Chtelet Theatre in Paris.

The club issued a statement to AFP: “It is obvious that the UEFA Ballon d’Or has no respect for Real Madrid. And Real Madrid does not go where it is not respected.” As for Vinicius Junior, he tweeted, “I will do it 10x if I have to. They are not ready,” an ominous message for things to come. The Brazilian international placed ahead of his teammates Jude Bellingham and Dani Carvajal in 3rd and 4th, respectively.

In the statement, the club also mentioned, “If the award criteria doesn’t give it to Vinicius as the winner, then those same criteria should point to Carvajal as the winner.” The Ballon d’Or is awarded based on three criteria – first, individual performances, decisive and impressive character; second, team performances and achievements; third, class and fair play.

Vinicius Junior’s teammates called out the Ballon d’Or, too, showing their support for the 24-year-old. Eduardo Camavinga referred to the ‘injustice’ as “football politics,” tweeting: “My brother, you are the best football player in the world, and no award can say otherwise.” Vini’s former teammate, Toni Kroos, posted a couple of pictures with the forward on Instagram, writing, “The best.” 

In fact, when journalist Fabrizio Romano posted the list on Instagram, asking, “What would you change from Ballon d’Or final 30 rankings announced [on Monday]?” the former German international replied, “Where do we start?😂” That says it all about the mood at Los Blancos right now, doesn’t it?

What would you change in the final Ballon d’Or rankings? Share your thoughts in the comments.