Written by 
Samuel – November 4, 2024
The 2024 Ballon d’Or was a memorable one in the prestigious awards history, since it came as a complete surprise to many football fans and professional players around the world.
According to many football fans, the award ceremony took a major U-turn when Vinicius Junior, the most expected winner prior to the ceremony failed to be crowned the winner and finished second in the overall rankings, while Manchester City Rodri emerged as the shocking winner of the 68th edition of the award ceremony in Paris.
Football pundits and fans believe the award was unfair to Vinicius Junior after his successful season with Real Madrid last season while others praise Rodri’s abilities as a deserving recipient of the most coveted individual football award.
Rodri had a spectacular season for Manchester City, playing a key role in the club’s fourth consecutive title-winning campaign as well as Spain’s Euro triumph in July, making him a well-deserved winner for the award and also paving way for more midfielders in the forthcoming editions.
As a result, we will examine whether Rodri’s Ballon d’Or triumph is a turning point for midfielders to have a continued chance of winning the award in the future or if it is a fluke result.
The Journey
Rodri’s sensational 2023/24 season will be one to remember for the Spanish midfielder, solidifying his status as one of the greatest midfielders to be crowned Ballon d’Or winner in history.
Rodri finished the previous season with two crucial trophies, lifting the Premier League and the 2024 Euro, where winning a trophy for the national team trophy is one of the major criteria for a top finish in the award category.
Furthermore, he had a phenomenal 74-game unbeaten streak for both clubs and country across all competitions, which was eventually thwarted when Manchester United defeated Manchester City in the FA cup final in May.
In the same vein, Rodri’s performance in the Euro tournament garnered him player of the tournament honors for his ability to control the tempo of the game and his leadership, cementing his status as one of the world’s top players.
Fluke or Future?
Following Rodri’s Ballon d’Or victory, it is clear that midfielders now have a fantastic possibility to rise in the award ranking.
Luka Modric ended the long dominance of forwards Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in the award’s history, marking a watershed moment for midfielders after leading Real Madrid to third consecutive Champions League victory and Croatia to their first World Cup final in 2018.
Jorginho also had a spectacular season in 2021 for Chelsea and the Italian national team, helping the Blues win the Champions League and Italy win the Euro. This performance vaulted him to third place in the award standings and made him the first Italian player to win the UEFA Men’s player of the year award.
The emergence of midfielders, particularly defensive midfielders, securing top spots in the awards rankings has been culminating over the years and Rodri eventually sealed the deal in the last concluded edition.
These previous records of midfielders earning a solid spot in the award rankings are sufficient proof and a turning point that central and defensive midfielders have a huge possibility to continue to emerge as winners following a successful year in their respective clubs.
Verdict
Rodri’s Ballon d’Or triumph demonstrates that midfielders can be well represented and have a good chance of winning the prestigious award, and it should come as no surprise henceforth that more midfielders are proclaimed winners at the upcoming awards ceremony after successful stints for club and country.