Ballon d'Or Criteria Explained: Did Rodri Deserve The Win Over Vinicius?

Manchester City and Spain midfielder Rodri bagged the Ballon d'Or 2024 title, beating Real Madrid duo Vinicius Jr. and Jude Bellingham to the top podium spot. The name of the winner was leaked on social media hours before the official announcement was made in a glittering ceremony in France, prompting an intense debate on social media. After Real Madrid decided not to travel to Paris, making their stance clear to boycott the event, it became clear that the leaks were, in fact, correct.

As Rodri was officially named the winner of the men's Ballon d'Or 2024, a section of fans expressed their disappointment, suggesting the Brazilian Vinicius should've bagged the prized individual honour. But, was Vinicius truly robbed of the award?

How is the Ballon d'Or winner decided?

According to UEFA, the Ballon d'Or honour is awarded every year by an international jury of specialised journalists, with one representative per country, from the top 100 in the latest FIFA rankings (before the lists are published) for men and the top 50 for women.

Each juror selects ten players in descending order of merit from a list of 30 established by the editorial staff of France Football, members of the editorial staff of L'Equipe, the best juror from the previous edition - Costa Rica for the men's Ballon d'Or, South Africa for the women's Ballon d'Or - and UEFA ambassadors Luis Figo for the men's trophy and Nadine Kessler for the women's trophy.

The ten selected players are awarded 15, 12, 10, 8, 7, 5, 4, 3, 2, and 1 point respectively. The Ballon d'Or is awarded to the player with the highest number of points.

On what basis do journalists vote?

While casting votes, a player's individual performances take first priority. The player's decisive contributions and character in top games take precedent while team performances, achievements, class and fairplay come next into consideration.

1) Individual performances, decisive and impressive character

2) Team performances and achievements

3) Class and fair play

Was Rodri the deserved Ballon d'Or winner?

Rodri was arguably Manchester City's most important player in the 2023-24 season, helping the team win its 4th consecutive league title. He was also named UEFA Euro 2024 Player of the Tournament as Spain clinched the title by beating England in the final.

The Spaniard is widely considered as the best No. 6 (defensive midfielder) in the game at present, with Manchester City barely losing a game when was in the team's starting XI. Rodri was also a pivotal player for Spain in their Euro 2024 campaign, providing the required balance between attack and defence that made La Roja worthy champions.

As for Vinicius, while his contributions for Real Madrid in the Champions League and Spanish La Liga, he wasn't as influential for Brazil. Controversies and chatter around his character and conduct didn't do his image a favour. Hence, it was Rodri who emerged triumphant in the Ballon d'Or race.