Spanish midfielders Rodri and Aitana Bonmatí were awarded the men’s and women’s Ballon d’Or award, respectively, for the world’s best football player in 2024 at a ceremony in Paris on October 28.
Barcelona’s midfielder Bonmati won the women’s award for a second time.
What is the Ballon d’Or?
• Awarded by France Football magazine, the Ballon d’Or has been given out to men every year since 1956 when Stanley Matthews won. It is voted on by a panel of international journalists and is the most prestigious individual honour in the sport.
• Each journalist, one per country, selects 10 players in ranked order, with points attributed to each position. The winner is the player who receives the most points. Unlike FIFA’s awards for the best players each year, fans aren’t part of the voting system.
• The women’s trophy was created in 2018, and both were cancelled in 2020 because of the pandemic.
No Messi and Ronaldo in nominees list
• Rodri, a first-time winner of the award, was instrumental in helping his team win an unprecedented fourth successive Premier League trophy last season. He was also named best player at this year’s European Championship after Spain lifted a record-extending fourth title.
• He succeeded eight-time winner Lionel Messi of Argentina and beat Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior into second place
• It was the first time since 2003 in which neither Lionel Messi nor Cristiano Ronaldo made the final 30-man list of nominees. Portugal’s Ronaldo, who has won the award five times and was the last Premier League player to win it in 2008, also failed to receive a nomination last year after moving to Saudi Arabia.
• Messi, who won for a record eighth time in 2023, missed out despite Argentina’s Copa America triumph.
Bonmati wins Ballon d’Or again
• The 26-year-old Bonmati retained her award after helping Barcelona win the Spanish league, the Spanish cup and the Champions League.
• Bonmati joined Barca teammate Alexia Putellas in winning two titles since the women’s trophy was first awarded in 2018. She beat her teammates Caroline Graham Hansen of Norway and Salma Paralluelo of Spain.
• Bonmatí scored 19 goals for the second straight season for Barca and this year has netted five in five games for Spain, taking her international tally to 26.
Other awards:
• Men’s Club of the Year: Real Madrid
• Women’s Club of the Year: Barcelona Femeni
• Gerd Muller Trophy for the best striker of the year: Harry Kane (England, Bayern Munich) and Kylian Mbappe (France, Paris Saint-Germain/Real Madrid)
• Yashin Trophy for best goalkeeper: Emiliano Martinez (Argentina and Aston Villa)
• Kopa Trophy for best player under-21: Lamine Yamal (Spain and Barcelona)
• Men’s Coach of the Year: Carlo Ancelotti (Real Madrid)
• Women’s Coach of the Year: Emma Hayes (Chelsea and USA)
• Socrates Award for humanitarian work off the pitch: Jennifer Hermoso of Spain for her role in the fight for women’s rights in football and her courageous stance against sexual assault in the sport.
Manorama Yearbook app is now available on Google Play Store and iOS App Store