The night the lights stayed off in Madrid but burned bright in Manchester and Barcelona. Honestly, if you were scrolling through social media on October 28, 2024, you probably thought the world had ended. Or at least, the football world as we know it.
Real Madrid, the biggest club on the planet, just... didn't show up. They skipped the private jets. They left the tuxedos in the closet. Why? Because the 2024 Ballon d'Or winners list didn't start with the name they expected.
The Rodri Shift: Why the Midfield Finally Won
For years, we've been told that if you don't score 40 goals or do three step-overs before breakfast, you aren't "Ballon d'Or material." Rodri broke that. He basically told the world that being the heartbeat of a team matters more than being the highlight reel.
Rodri. A guy who doesn't even have social media. He showed up to the Théâtre du Châtelet on crutches, looking more like a guy recovering from a weekend mishap than the best footballer on Earth. But when he lifted that trophy, it was a massive win for the "unseen" work. He won the Premier League with Manchester City (four in a row, which is just absurd) and then went and bossed Euro 2024 with Spain.
He didn't just play; he controlled the temperature of every game.
But let's be real about the elephant in the room. Vinícius Júnior.
Vini was the heavy favorite. He won the Champions League. He scored in the final. When the "leak" came out that he wasn't the winner, Madrid went into a full-blown meltdown. They claimed "robbery." Cristiano Ronaldo even chimed in later, calling it "unfair" at the Globe Soccer Awards.
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Here is the thing people miss: the voting system changed. It’s not a popularity contest among teammates anymore. It’s 100 journalists from the top 100 FIFA-ranked nations. They looked at Rodri’s consistency—a 74-game unbeaten streak for club and country—and decided that outweighed Vini’s chaotic brilliance.
Aitana Bonmatí: The Dynasty Continues
While the men were arguing over who deserved what, Aitana Bonmatí was busy making history. Again.
She took home her second consecutive Ballon d'Or Féminin. Actually, by the time the 2025 ceremony rolled around, she’d secured a third, but her 2024 win was the one that cemented her as the undisputed queen of the pitch. She led Barcelona to a quadruple. League, Cup, Super Cup, and the Champions League.
The stats are one thing, but watching her is another. She plays like she's seeing the game in slow motion. Natalie Portman handed her the trophy, which felt fitting. Greatness recognizing greatness.
What's wild is the Barcelona dominance. Out of the last seven women's trophies, five have gone to Barça players (Alexia Putellas and Aitana). No other club is even in the conversation right now.
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The Kids are Alright: Lamine Yamal’s Takeover
If you want to feel old, look at Lamine Yamal.
The kid won the Kopa Trophy for the best player under 21. He was 17.
17!
When I was 17, I was trying to figure out how to pass a driving test. Yamal was busy terrorizing the French national team and winning a European Championship. He didn't just win the Kopa; he finished 8th in the overall Ballon d'Or rankings. He is the youngest player ever to crack the top ten.
He beat out Arda Güler and Kobbie Mainoo, which says a lot because those two had monstrous seasons themselves.
The Full 2024 Ballon d'Or Winners List (The Breakdown)
If you missed the broadcast because of the Madrid boycott drama, here is exactly who walked away with silverware:
- Men’s Ballon d’Or: Rodri (Manchester City / Spain)
- Women’s Ballon d’Or: Aitana Bonmatí (Barcelona / Spain)
- Kopa Trophy (Best U-21): Lamine Yamal (Barcelona / Spain)
- Yashin Trophy (Best Goalkeeper): Emiliano "Dibu" Martínez (Aston Villa / Argentina) - Yes, he won it back-to-back. People love to hate him, but he saves everything.
- Gerd Müller Trophy (Top Scorer): Harry Kane and Kylian Mbappé (52 goals each).
- Men’s Coach of the Year: Carlo Ancelotti (Real Madrid) - He wasn't there to pick it up, obviously.
- Women’s Coach of the Year: Emma Hayes (Chelsea / USA)
- Men’s Club of the Year: Real Madrid
- Women’s Club of the Year: Barcelona
The Real Madrid Boycott: Petty or Principled?
This is where things get spicy. Madrid won Men’s Club of the Year. Ancelotti won Coach of the Year. Mbappé won the scoring trophy.
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They still didn't show.
The club's logic was that if the criteria didn't make Vinícius the winner, then by those same criteria, Dani Carvajal should have won. Since neither did, they felt "disrespected." It created a weird vibe in the room. Usually, the front row is packed with Galácticos. In 2024, those seats were empty.
It’s a reminder that individual awards in a team sport will always be controversial. There is no perfect metric. If you value goals, it's Vini. If you value the "invisible" engine that makes a team win every single week, it's Rodri.
What This Means for the Future
The 2024 awards marked the end of an era. For the first time in over 20 years, neither Lionel Messi nor Cristiano Ronaldo were even on the shortlist.
We are officially in the "Post-GOAT" era.
It’s open season now. Next year could be Haaland. It could be Bellingham. Maybe Yamal skips the line and takes the big one. But 2024 will always be remembered as the year the defensive midfielder finally got his flowers—and the year the biggest club in the world stayed home in a huff.
Actionable Insights for Fans:
- Watch the "Six" position: If you want to understand why Rodri won, stop following the ball. Watch how he stays in the gaps, cuts off passing lanes, and directs his teammates. It’s a masterclass in spatial awareness.
- Track Lamine Yamal's development: He is currently the most valuable teenager in the history of the sport. His market value hit €200 million for a reason.
- Don't rely on "leaks": The 2024 ceremony proved that the social media "confirmed winners" lists are often wrong. Wait for the actual envelope.