Saturday, November 9, 2024, 18:28
| Updated 6:38 p.m.
The Ballon d’Or 2024 was not only marked by the victory of Rodri Hernández, but also by a controversy that stirred up the award: the resignation of a journalist from the jury after admitting a “technical error” in his voting. Juha Kanerva, a Finnish journalist, was one of the three voters who excluded Vinicius from his list of the ten best players in the world, which generated a wave of criticism on social networks. When the accusation became public, Kanerva chose to resign from her position on the jury, which added more controversy to an already tense edition.
Unlike Kanerva, who attributed his mistake to a “technical error”, Bruno Porzio, a journalist from El Salvador, defended his decision not to include Vinicius in his Top 10. Despite being a recognized Barcelona supporter, Porzio placed Jude Bellingham in first place, followed by Erling Haaland and Toni Kroos. Regarding his decision to exclude Rodri from the Top 3, the journalist explained: «He is a player who did not go far in the Champions League, he was eliminated very early. A decisive player does not leave so early. Furthermore, Spain won the Euro Cup fraudulently due to the unsanctioned handball of Cucurella, so I do not consider Spain’s Euro Cup valid in my votes. “I can’t give him the Ballon d’Or for five and a half games.”
Regarding Vinicius, Porzio justified: «I do not consider him a decisive player in terms of his game. Although he scored important goals, his movement on the field is limited and he does not contribute in the defensive phase. “He is not a complete player and, therefore, I do not include him among the 10 best in Europe.” Regarding his support for Bellingham, Porzio added: «He arrived at Real Madrid at the age of 20, positioned himself as a leader on the field and contributed with goals and assists. “He took England to the Euro final and, for me, he was the best player last year.”
Know how to win and lose
Rodri Hernández himself surpassed Vinicius by only 41 points. The Spaniard was not previously informed of his success, he expressed his surprise upon hearing his name during the ceremony. «I was surprised that everyone asked me. “No one told me anything before the ceremony,” commented the player, visibly moved by the award. Although his victory was received with joy, there was also a cloud of controversy over the absence of Real Madrid, who decided to boycott the event after learning that their player, Vinicius, would not be the winner. The white club generated great controversy by not attending the gala, which, in Rodri’s words, was an unfortunate decision. «I would have preferred everyone to be present. “We want the best players on the planet on a night like this,” commented the Spaniard in an interview with France Football.
Despite the tension, Rodri highlighted the importance of sportsmanship and recalled that, last year, he attended the gala to support Erling Haaland, although he had many more chances of winning the Ballon d’Or. “You have to know how to win, but also knowing how to lose,” stressed the midfielder, who also recalled the support he received on his way to victory.
Lamine, almost unanimous
Lamine Yamal was crowned with the Kopa 2024 Trophy, which recognizes him as the best under-21 player in the world, with almost unanimous support from the historic Ballon d’Or winners. At only 17 years old, the young star of FC Barcelona Not only did he win this prestigious award, but he also reached eighth place in the overall Ballon d’Or classification, surpassing established figures such as Harry Kane and Toni Kroos. Although the legendary Ronaldo Nazario showed his support for the Brazilian Savinho, the rest of the voters chose Yamal as their first candidate, largely due to his outstanding performance in the European Championship with Spain, establishing himself as one of the brightest promises in world football. This award, which can only be awarded by the winners of the Ballon d’Or, was marked by the absence of two great figures such as Zinedine Zidane and Cristiano Ronaldo, the second highest winner of this award.
