Past Ballon d’Or winners as Rodri wins 2024 award

Manchester City’s Rodri has beaten Vinicius Jr to the 2024 Ballon d’Or at a prestigious event in Paris.

The Spaniard became the first Premier League winner of the Ballon d’Or since Cristiano Ronaldo in 2008, when the Portuguese was at Manchester United.

“A very special day, for me, my family and my country,” he said.

George Weah, winner in 1995, presented the award, and interestingly said that his trophy helped to end the Liberian civil war and bring peace to the nation.

Rodri has been an outspoken advocate for player strikes having complained about the workload forced upon players. He is out for much of the remainder of the season due to a knee injury.

So here’s the Ballon d’Or winners from the last 20 years.

Previous Ballon d’Or winners