Rodri or Jude Bellingham? Former Liverpool star Jordan Henderson names his favorite to win Ballon d'Or this year

Former Liverpool skipper Jordan Henderson has named who among Rodri and Jude Bellingham could win the Ballon d'Or this year. Both players are ranked among the top favorites for the prize following a brilliant individual campaign for club and country.

After playing a key role in Manchester City's historic treble last year, Rodri was once again an instrumental figure in their fourth consecutive Premier League title win in 2024. He later won the European championship with Spain on Sunday (14 July), playing in all but one game throughout their campaign.

Meanwhile, Jude Bellingham enjoyed a memorable debut season with Real Madrid, registering 23 goals and 13 assists in all competitions to lift the La Liga and Champions League honors. The playmaker was also a part of Gareth Southgate's England squad that finished as runners-up at Euro 2024.

Such achievements have made them frontrunners for the prestigious Golden Ball, alongside another Real Madrid star Vinicius Junior, who also dazzled with his blistering exploits.

In a video making the rounds online, several Ajax players were asked to predict this year's Ballon d'Or winner, including Henderson. The 34-year-old joined the Amsterdam outfit in January this year after just six months in Saudi Arabia with Al-Ettifaq.

Henderson initially chose Rodri, but later asked if he could change his answer:

"I just want to change my answer...is that alright? Can I change?"

After being given the greenlight, Hernderson promptly said "Bellingham". Only three other players tipped the Englishman to win the Ballon d'Or, as most went with either Vinicius or Rodri. Defender Ahmetcan Kaplan was the only player who chose Spain's Dani Carvajal.

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Ballon d'Or winner to be announced on 28 October 2024

While the list of favorites for Ballon d'Or 2024 are already being drawn out, the prize ceremony is over three months away as the winner will be announced at the Paris gala on 28 October. Meanwhile, the official list of nominees are set to be announced on 4 September.

Following Real Madrid's Champions League victory in June, Vinicius Junior was touted as the favorite for the prize, with Jude Bellingham right behind him. However, after Spain bagged another European championship last weekend, Rodri has been propelled in the rankings.

Either way, the race looks really tight right now. In fact, this could be the closest fought Ballon d'Or in years with three players seemingly having a bright chance of winning it.