Ballon d'Or 2024: By what margin Rodri edged out Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior?

France Football, the publication responsible for organizing the Ballon d’Or, recently disclosed how narrowly Manchester City midfielder Rodri edged out Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior for the prestigious honor. Rodri claimed the Ballon d’Or 2024 with a total of 1,170 points — just 41 points more than Vinicius, who accumulated 1,129.

The news of Vinicius not winning the Ballon d’Or despite leading Real Madrid to La Liga and Champions League titles was leaked before the Ballon d’Or ceremony in Paris, leading to a massive protest from the Spanish giants as their players, coaches, and executives, disappointed skipped the 28 October ceremony.

How Rodri beat Vinicius in race for Ballon d’Or 2024

“Congrats to who won the Ballon d’Or, but it’s the past…We won our Ballon d’Or on June 1st. Our Ballon d’Or was the Champions League we won in London,” Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said a few days after the event.

Also Read | Ballon d’Or 2024: Final rankings for men’s and women’s awards

According to voting details released by French media outlet L’Equipe, each of the 99 judges ranked their top 10 choices for the men’s award. Points were awarded based on placement, with first-place votes earning 15 points, and decreasing values awarded down to one point for a 10th-place selection. This system created a total pool of 6,633 points, underscoring Rodri’s narrow 41-point lead over Vinicius.

Additional insights from France Football’s data revealed that a few unexpected players received first-place votes, including Ademola Lookman from Atalanta and Nigeria, joining the ranks of Kylian Mbappé, Erling Haaland, Lautaro Martínez, and Rodri. From Real Madrid, several Champions League-winning players also received multiple mentions as top players of the 2023-24 season, including Jude Bellingham (5 mentions), Dani Carvajal (4), and Toni Kroos (2).

Notably, five of the jurors did not place Rodri in their top 10, while three omitted Vinicius entirely.