The 2024 Ballon d’Or voting breakdown has been released, shedding light on the narrow margin of victory for Golden Ball winner Rodri over runner-up Vinicius Junior.
The Manchester City midfielder edged out the Real Madrid star by a mere 41 points.
Meanwhile, this year’s Ballon d’Or ceremony was marred by controversy after Real Madrid boycotted the event upon learning Vinicius Jr would not claim the top honor.
Despite Los Blancos securing multiple awards, the team opted not to attend the Paris ceremony in protest.
Rodri’s victory marked a significant milestone for the Manchester City midfielder, who claimed the coveted Golden Ball award.
The Spanish international’s impressive performances caught the attention of the international jury of specialized journalists.
The detailed voting breakdown reveals that Rodri garnered 462 points, narrowly surpassing Vinicius Jr’s 421 points.
This slim margin underscores the intense competition between the two football stalwarts.
THE 2024 BALLON D’OR RANKINGS (1-10)
1. Rodri (Spain, Manchester City), 1,170 points.
2. Vinicius Jr. (Brazil, Real Madrid), 1,129 pts.
3. Jude Bellingham (England, Real Madrid), 917 pts.
4. Dani Carvajal (Spain, Real Madrid), 550 pts.
5. Erling Haaland (Norway, Manchester City), 432 pts.
6. Kylian Mbappé (France, Paris-SG), 420 pts.
7. Lautaro Martinez (Argentina, Inter Milan), 402 pts.
8. Lamine Yamal (Spain, FC Barcelona), 383 pts.
9. Toni Kroos (Germany, Real Madrid), 291 pts.
10. Harry Kane (England, Bayern Munich), 201 pts.
THE BALLON D’OR RANKINGS (11-30)
11. Phil Foden (England, Manchester City), 157 pts.
12. Florian Wirtz (Germany, Leverkusen), 101 pts.
13. Dani Olmo (Spain, RB Leipzig), 86 pts.
14. Ademola Lookman (Nigeria, Atalanta Bergamo), 82 pts.
15. Nico Williams (Spain, Athletic Bilbao), 73 pts.
16. Granit Xhaka (Switzerland, Leverkusen), 60 pts.
17. Federico Valverde (Uruguay, Real Madrid), 58 pts.
18. Emiliano Martinez (Argentina, Aston Villa), 28 pts.
19. Martin Ödegaard (Norway, Arsenal), 16 pts.
20. Hakan Çalhanoglu (Turkey, Inter Milan), 15 pts.
21. Bukayo Saka (England, Arsenal), 14 pts.
22. Antonio Rüdiger (Germany, Real Madrid), 13 pts.
23. Ruben Dias (Portugal, Manchester City), 8 pts.
24. William Saliba (France, Arsenal), 8 pts.
25. Cole Palmer (England, Manchester City, Chelsea), 7 pts.
26. Declan Rice (England, Arsenal), 5 pts.
27. Vitinha (Portugal, Paris-SG), 5 pts.
28. Alejandro Grimaldo (Spain, Leverkusen), 2 pts.
29. Artem Dovbik (Ukraine, SK-Dnipro 1, Girona), 0 pt.
30. Mats Hummels (Germany, Dortmund), 0 pt.
The Ballon d’Or: Understanding the Voting Process
The Ballon d’Or, football’s most prestigious individual honor, is awarded annually through a rigorous voting process.
This process involves an international jury of 180 specialized journalists selected by France Football, the organizers of the award.
To be eligible, players must have been active during the calendar year and have played for a European club or been part of a national team.
The voting process consists of four key steps:
First, each juror selects their top five players, ranking them in order of preference. Points are then allocated based on ranking: 6 points for the first choice, 4 for the second, 3 for the third, 2 for the fourth, and 1 for the fifth.
Next, the points from each juror are tallied to determine the overall ranking. The Ballon d’Or recognizes exceptional talent in various categories, including; Ballon d’Or (best player), Ballon d’Or Féminin (best female player), Kopa Trophy (best young player under 21), Yashin Trophy (best goalkeeper).
When casting their votes, jurors consider factors such as individual performance, team success, skill, technique, leadership, and impact on the game.
To ensure transparency, France Football publishes the full voting breakdown after the ceremony, along with each juror’s individual votes. This openness underscores the integrity and credibility of the Ballon d’Or.
As the football community reflects on the 2024 Ballon d’Or, attention shifts to the upcoming season.
With Rodri currently out of action due to injury, will he continue to shine, or will Vinicius Jr make a strong comeback?
Additionally, do you agree with the jury’s choice for the 2024 Ballon d’Or winner?
Please, share your thoughts with us in the comment box below
