On Monday, October 28, Rodri Hernández was awarded the Ballon d'Or. In an interview with 'France Football', the Manchester City midfielder revealed what he felt at that moment and sent a 'dart' to Vinicius Jr. and Real Madrid for the behavior shown after learning of the Spanish footballer's victory.
"This year I had a real opportunity and I was hoping to hear my name. Also, it was special because at that moment part of the public was shouting another name (Vinicius). When I heard Weah say my name, I put my hands on my face. I couldn't believe it. I looked at my family and tried to gather strength to get to the stage with crutches," began the Madrid native.
In addition, Rodri acknowledged that he was not afraid of not winning the award because an individual trophy "is always a reward." "You can't be sad about not winning an award of this nature because it's not your decision, it's the result of a vote," said the best footballer of 2024.
A dart at Vinicius and Real Madrid?
Hernández acknowledged that he never doubted his presence at the gala, despite the fact that he was not the favorite to take home the award. "When your worth is recognized at a high level, whether you have won or not, it's good to come to the ceremony. For example, last year, Erling Haaland was in a position to win, much more than I was. I wanted to come and support him at that moment. It's important to know how to win, but also to know how to lose," he admitted, in an obvious 'message' to Vinicius Jr.
Rodri was surprised by his victory, even confessing that no one had told him anything before the ceremony. "This decision not to reveal anything until the final verdict is an excellent thing. I received several messages from friends telling us that Real Madrid would not come. I thought it was fake news. I left home to take part in the ceremony and landed in Paris as a virtual winner," he revealed.
Finally, the footballer launched a 'dart' at Real Madrid for their absence at the gala. "The second, the third, the fourth were missing... We want all the best players on the planet to be present on a night like this. The best team of the year (Real Madrid) did not attend the ceremony. Neither did the best coach (Ancelotti) nor the joint top scorer (Mbappé). I would not have acted in the same way. That did not ruin my night," he concluded.