2024 Ballon d’Or Winners: A Night to Remember
Well, well, well! As if Paris wasn’t already the city of love, it just became the city of football glitz and glamour. On October 28, the grand Chatelet theater played host to the highly anticipated Ballon d’Or ceremony, where the finest talents in football gathered to see who would take home the most prestigious piece of spherical bling in the sport. That’s right, folks! We’re talking about the Ballon d’Or—it’s like the Oscars, but with more dramatic dives. Cue the music and the spotlight!
Since 1956, the Ballon d’Or has been a rite of passage for players, a chance for them to give a tearful acceptance speech, while their teammates secretly wonder if they’ve just been upstaged. In a season spanning from August 1, 2023, to July 31, 2024, the stage was set for the best in the business.
The Winner Takes It All
And the big reveal? Rodri emerged triumphantly, handed the trophy by none other than the legendary George Weah. Not only is Rodri a midfield maestro, but he also became the first Spaniard to win the Golden Ball since 1960—and the first defensive midfielder ever. You know, when we say “defensive” around here, we’re talking about tackling, strategy, and, let’s be honest, taking a few punches if need be… just kidding! But winning it after guiding Spain to the European Championship and Manchester City to the Premier League is like icing on an already ludicrous cake!
“This is a special day. Who would have thought that I would end up here… This is a victory not only for me, but for the entire Spanish football.”
Rodri’s heartwarming words remind us all that it’s not just about individual glory, even if it felt like the entire Spanish football community was whispering, “Finally!” in unison.
Women’s Football Shining Bright
Meanwhile, on the women’s side, Aitana Bonmati of Barcelona snagged the Ballon d’Or for the second year in a row. We’re beginning to think they should just give her a permanent spot on the podium! With her club’s impressive haul of trophies, including La Liga and the Champions League, you could say she’s making quite the case for herself—taking notes, gentlemen?
Young Stars and Recognized Grit
Then we had the standout Lamin Yamal, who waddled away with the “Kop Trophy” as the best player under 21. At this point, this kid seems like he was born to make other players look bad. He won the European Championship with the Spanish team and might just be the only person in history who can make “under 21” sound like an elite club membership!
Recognizing the Greats
If you thought the awards were done, think again! Emiliano Martinez was back for another round with the “Yashin Trophy” for best goalkeeper—because why settle for one? And let’s not forget about the legendary duo Harry Kane and Kylian Mbappe, who shared the “Gerd Müller Trophy” for being the best forward with a mind-boggling collective 52 goals! If they didn’t have massive contracts already, I’d say we should start a GoFundMe to keep them in the game.
The Coaches Get Their Due
In the coaching realm, the accolades were unsurprisingly snatched up by the veteran tacticians. Carlo Ancelotti was recognized as the men’s coach of the year, guiding Real Madrid to Champions League glory, while Emma Hayes took home the equivalent for women’s football after her leadership led Team USA to Olympic glory. Quite the power couples of coaching!
So, Who Won What?
Ballon d’Or (men): Rodri (Spain, Manchester City)
Ballon d’Or (women): Aitana Bonmati (Barcelona, Spain)
Kop Trophy (best player under 21): Lamin Yamal (Barcelona, Spain)
Yashin Trophy (best goalkeeper): Emiliano Martinez (Aston Villa, Argentina)
Gerd Müller Trophy (best forward): Harry Kane (Bayern, England), Kylian Mbappe (PSG/Real Madrid, France)
Socrates Prize: Jennifer Hermoso (UANL Tigres, Spain)
Best Men’s Club: Real Madrid
Best Women’s Club: Barcelona
Men’s Football Coach of the Year: Carlo Ancelotti (Real Madrid)
Women’s Football Coach of the Year: Emma Hayes (Chelsea/USA)
In Conclusion
And there you have it: another year, another Ballon d’Or ceremony teeming with excitement and a smattering of bewilderment. Football continues to thrive, with stars shining brighter, trophies being hoisted higher, and perhaps most importantly, more Twitter feuds brewing in the background. Here’s to a world where the beautiful game only gets more beautiful!
On October 28 in Paris, at the Chatelet theater, the France Football magazine awarded the Ballon d’Or award to the best football player in the world for the 2023/2024 season. Olympics tells who received it, as well as who won in other categories.
The French edition’s award is considered the most prestigious in the world of football. The award was first presented in 1956. The Ballon d’Or award is currently being presented in several categories.
Football. Ballon d’Or 2024: ceremony, nominees, broadcast
The awards were based on a season (August 1, 2023 to July 31, 2024) rather than a calendar year.
Football. Ballon d’Or: all winners since 1956
The winner of the Golden Ball was Rhodri. Handed him the trophy George Weah. Rodri became the first Spaniard to win the award since 1960 and the first defensive midfielder to receive the award. Last season he won the European Championship with the Spanish national team and the Premier League championship with Manchester City.
Rodri is currently recovering from the injury. He suffered a torn cruciate ligament in his knee in September and will miss the remainder of the season.
After the award, Rodri said:
This is a special day. Who would have thought that I would end up here. I thank my Manchester City partners. This is the best club in the world for me. Thanks also to my partners on the national team. Together we won the European Championship and made the country happy.
This is a victory not only for me, but for the entire Spanish football. So many Spanish players were approaching the Ballon d’Or. This is a victory for the Spanish school of football.
World Champion 2023 Aytana Bonmata from Barcelona won the Ballon d’Or for the second time in a row as the best player in women’s football. Last season, Barça’s women’s team won La Liga, the Copa del Rey, the Spanish Super Cup and the Champions League.
“Kop Trophy” as the best player under 21 received Lamin Yamal. Playing for the Spanish team, he won the European Championship. Yamal became the youngest winner of the Kop Trophy.
Emiliano Martinez received the Trophy for the second time in a row Yashina“as the best goalkeeper.
Bayern player Harry Kane and a Real Madrid player, and last season a PSG player Kylian Mbappe won the Gerd Müller Trophy as the best forward. In the 2023/2024 season they scored 52 goals.
Real Madrid head coach named coach of the year in men’s football Carlo Ancelottiand coach of the year in women’s football – Emma Hayeswhich led Team USA to victory at the 2024 Olympic Games.
Barça’s women’s team won the award for best women’s team.
The best men’s team was Real Madrid, which won the Champions League and La Liga in the 2023/2024 season.
Winners of the 2024 Ballon d’Or award
Ballon d’Or (men): Rodri (Spain, Manchester City)
Ballon d’Or (women): Aitana Bonmati (Barcelona, Spain)
Kop Trophy (best player under 21): Lamin Yamal (Barcelona, Spain)
“Yashin Trophy” (best goalkeeper): Emiliano Martinez (Aston Villa, Argentina)
“Gerd Müller Trophy” (best hitter): Harry Kane (Bayern, England), Kylian Mbappe (PSG/Real Madrid, France)
Socrates Prize: Jennifer Hermoso (UANL Tigres, Spain)
Best Men’s Club: “Real”
Best Women’s Club: “Barcelona”
Men’s Football Coach of the Year: Carlo Ancelotti (Real Madrid)
Women’s Football Coach of the Year: Emma Hayes (Chelsea/USA)