Rodri admits he wouldn't have even chosen Vinicius Junior as Ballon d'Or runner-up as Man City star condemns Real Madrid's decision to boycott 2024 ceremony

The Manchester City star became the first midfielder since Luka Modric to win the prestigious Ballon d'Or award this year as he beat Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior to the Golden Ball. Los Blancos, as a club, decided to boycott the ceremony just hours before the event as they had come to know about the outcome before.

The Brazilian's snub in Paris has divided opinions in world football, however, Rodri claimed that he was unfazed by the Spanish giants' absence at the ceremony. He also went on to claim that Vinicius Jr. would not have been his second choice for the award this year if he had the opportunity to vote.

Speaking to El Partidazo de COPE, the Manchester City midfielder said: "I felt a bit of disbelief when, at the time of the presentation of the trophy, half the room shouted 'Vinicius, Vinicius!'. In any case, there was a lot of respect for me from the audience because afterwards they all stood up and applauded me.

"The Ballon d'Or has rewarded consistency, which is the most difficult thing in football. I am not the one to say whether I deserved this award or not. In 2023 I thought I could win it for my great season at City and this year I think I did even better."

He added: "Winning it changes your life a bit, it's a before and after. I've been congratulated by a lot of people, one of the ones I'm most excited about is [Andres] Iniesta, who should also have a Ballon d'Or in his showcase because he's been the best footballer in our country's history."

The 28-year-old might have sparked yet another controversy as he revealed that Vinicius Jr. would have been his third choice for the award, adding: "I would have chosen [Dani] Carvajal second and Vinicius third."

When asked if Real Madrid's boycott hurt him, the City star said: "It didn't hurt me that they weren't present. It was my moment, with my family, and the last thing I thought about was the people who hadn't come to the gala.

"Did I receive any congratulations from Madrid? There were some from former players of this club like Nacho and Joselu, with whom I shared a dressing room," said Rodri, who made it clear that "I didn't miss Vinicius not congratulating me. I care about my people, my family and my club. I wouldn't have done what Real Madrid did by not showing up to the gala, but there's no point in thinking about it any more."

Rodri may not feature for the English champions again in the 2024-25 campaign again after he picked up an ACL injury during a Premier League clash against Arsenal in September.