“People say I’m going to fight with Vinicius” - Rodri weighs in on 2024 Ballon d’Or race with Real Madrid superstar

Manchester City's Rodri has opened up on the Ballon d'Or race with Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior this year. The two are the frontrunners for the coveted prize, with both enjoying a tremendous year of football.

The football world is all set to crown a new champion this year, with Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo not in the running. Both players failed to make it into the final 30-man shortlist for the big prize this year.

Interestingly, the Argentinean has won the Ballon d'Or a record eight times. The Portuguese, meanwhile, has five awards to his name. However, their absence from the nominee list perhaps marks the end of their era of dominance in world football.

Rodri and Vinicius Junior are among the favorites for the award this year. The Spanish midfielder helped Manchester City to a Premier League triumph last season, and topped it up by winning Euro 2024 with La Roja.

Speaking recently, Rodri was full of praise for Vinicius.

“People say I’m going to fight with Vinicius Jr, who is someone I admire. I think he’s a great player,” said Rodri (via Madrid Xtra).

The Brazilian, meanwhile, was outstanding for Los Blancos last season. The 24-year-old was key to Real Madrid's triumph in La Liga as well as the Champions League. However, Vinicius failed to make a mark with the Selecao at Copa America, exiting the tournament in the quarterfinals at the hands of Uruguay.

Will a Real Madrid player win the Ballon d'Or this year?

Vinicius Junior

Interestingly the last two players to win the Ballon d'Or apart from Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in the last decade both played for Real Madrid. Luka Modric won the award in 2018, before Karim Benzema got his hands on the coveted prize in 2022.

Apart from Vinicius Junior, this year's nominee list also includes Jude Bellingham, Federico Valverde, Dani Carvajal, Kylian Mbappe and Antonio Rudiger, who all represent the La Liga champions. As such, the chances of the Ballon d'Or trophy arriving at the Santiago Bernabeu is quite high.

However, Rodri's achievements cannot be ruled out either. The 28-year-old is among the finest in his position in the world and reportedly has admirers at Real Madrid as well.

The Spaniard has been outstanding for Manchester City in recent years, helping them win a historic treble in the 2023/24 campaign. As such, he is likely to give Vinicius stiff competition in the race for the coveted prize this year.

The winner of the 2024 Ballon d'Or trophy will be announced on 28 October, 2024.