Pep Guardiola admits Vinicius Junior 'maybe' should have won Ballon d'Or ahead of Rodri as Man City boss gives honest take on Real Madrid boycotting ceremony

Vinicius Junior had been tipped to beat Rodri to the Ballon d'Or after inspiring Carlo Ancelotti's side to La Liga and Champions League titles last season. However, the Brazilian ended up being pipped to the prestigious award by Rodri, leading to a furious reaction from Real Madrid, who boycotted the ceremony in Paris on Monday. France Football chief Vincent Garcia has attempted to explain why Vinicius Jr did not win the Golden Ball, suggesting "it was close," and Guardiola also feels either player could have won.

He told reporters: "Should it be Vinicius? Maybe. It's [voted by] journalists, you know, not an elite group of people who decide. It's [people] all around the world that votes, not just one country. There are different opinions, and that's what makes football nice, no?"

Guardiola also shared his thoughts on Madrid's decision to boycott the ceremony, adding: "It's up to them. If they want to congratulate, that's fine. If not, that's fine as well. At Manchester City, we are not here to judge other clubs on what they decide they have to do. Last season for example, Erling [Haaland] won the Treble, scored more than 50 goals. I said to him 'just being there, you have to be so happy'. I said the same to Rodri. If you are in the first two, three or four, it's exceptional. You have to be so satisfied. Last season, should Erling have won? Yes. Should Messi have won? Yes. It's not important [who wins]. It represents that you and your team-mates have done something really nice that season."

Guardiola also called on Real Madrid to "accept" the result and revealed his pride at seeing Rodri become the first Manchester City player ever to win the Ballon d'Or. He added: "This event has to be a joy, people have to accept the results. As a club, we are so happy that Rodri is the first player in this club to win this award. It's like [winning] the Premier League and Champions League. We are so proud."

Rodri was the player in Europe's top five leagues with the most touches (120.3) per game last season in all competitions.

Guardiola will have to cope without his Ballon d'Or winner for the rest of the season after Rodri was ruled out with an ACL injury. The Manchester City boss will be aiming to continue his team's Premier League dominance as well as take Real Madrid's Champions League crown in what may be his final season in charge of the Cityzens.