On October 28, Rodri was crowned Ballon d’Or 2024. This was not to the taste of Real Madrid, who believe that Vinicius Jr or Dani Carvajal should have been crowned. Seventeenth in the final ranking, Federico Valverde (26 years old), also expected to be in a better place as he admitted during an interview with Movistar+.
“It’s crazy (to have well-ranked Real Madrid players, editor’s note). You have to continue and improve, otherwise they will kill me at home. Who will be able to support my wife later when she sees that I am in 15th place? (laughs). I expected to be ranked a little better, but it was a source of immense pride. I enjoyed it with my wife at home, drinking mate. I didn’t go to Paris, but if I had finished in the top ten, I would have gone there alone (laughs). My wife started crying, and it was nice. She said to me, “You don’t appreciate what you’re getting. “I was very happy, even if I expected to be a few places higher, I’m not asking for much more.” The message is clear…
