Spain and Manchester City midfielder Rodrigo Hernández—better known as Rodri—claimed the 2024 Ballon d’Or, edging out Brazilian star Vinicius Jr. for the coveted award. In an unexpected twist, Real Madrid fans, frustrated by the result, took to Instagram to vent their anger, not at Rodri, who has no social media presence, but at Argentina’s Lionel Messi’s teammate and Atletico Madrid player, Rodrigo de Paul.
On De Paul’s latest Instagram post, hundreds of comments poured in, with users posting phrases like “you don’t deserve the Ballon d’Or” and “thief.” As this drew attention, fans from other clubs joined in, mainly to mock Madrid supporters who had mistaken De Paul for Rodri. Meanwhile, the mix-up extended to singer Olivia Rodrigo, who received similar playful comments on her latest post, adding to the social media frenzy.
Rodri’s Ballon d’Or win came as a surprise to many, as Vinicius Jr. was widely seen as the frontrunner, even though the Spanish midfielder had strong credentials to his name. As a defensive midfielder, Rodri was pivotal for both Spain and City, playing a major role in their successes, including winning the Premier League, Club World Cup, UEFA Super Cup and 2024 Euros. He was named MVP of the Euros and contributed to 24 goals across all competitions (10 goals and 14 assists).
However, Real Madrid were (reportedly) so displeased by Vinicius’ Ballon d’Or snub that the club decided to skip the Paris ceremony altogether. This decision came despite Real Madrid being awarded the title of best men’s club, with Carlo Ancelotti named men’s coach of the year, and Kylian Mbappe sharing the top scorer accolade with Harry Kane.
Comments on Olivia Rodrigo and Rodrigo de Paul’s Instagram accounts (Screencaptures)
Vinicius, who helped Real Madrid clinch LaLiga and the Champions League, tallying 24 goals and 11 assists across all competitions, ultimately took second place. The Brazilian star was also the Champions League MVP and scored in the final. Meanwhile, Jude Bellingham placed third, and Dani Carvajal—crucial for both Spain and Real Madrid—finished fourth.
see also
Ballon d’Or 2024: Lionel Messi’s heartfelt reaction to Dibu Martinez’s Best Goalkeeper win
Vinicius Jr. reacts to the snub, other players congratulate Rodri
After the ceremony, Vinicius Jr. reacted to the snub with a message on social media. “I’ll do it 10x times if I have to. They’re not ready,” he wrote in Portuguese on X. Meanwhile, his former Real Madrid teammate, Karim Benzema, who won the award in 2022, also showed support to Vinicius on an Instagram story, sharing a photo of them with the caption “trop fort” (“too good”).
On the other hand, several players have shown their support to Rodri, congratulating him on his win. Former Barcelona and Spain stars such as Sergio Busquets, Andres Iniesta, Jordi Alba, Xavi and Luis Suarez all congratulated Rodri, as well as Aitana Bonmati and Lamine Yamal for their respective wins. Meanwhile, Antoine Griezmann also celebrated Rodri’s win with a post on X.
see also
Ballon d'Or account surprisingly confuses Rodri with another player in viral Instagram post
Finally, Manchester City’s coach Pep Guardiola also weighed in on the result. After congratulating Rodri, he gave his opinion on Vinicius: “Vinicius should’ve won Ballon Dor? Maybe, but it’s what happened. It’s journalists, it’s not a group of elite people that decide what they have to do. It’s all around the world, it’s not just one country’s vote. It’s all around the world, with different opinions.” He also left a message to Cristiano Ronaldo about Lionel Messi.
