Real Madrid believe that Manchester City midfielder Rodri will be announced as the winner of the 2024 Ballon d’Or later today, beating Vinicius Junior to the award.
The Brazil international, 24, is not expected to attend Monday’s ceremony in Paris in anticipation of the outcome. Madrid’s director of institutional relations Emilio Butragueno is also not travelling to the event, which now will not have club representation.
Should he win, Rodri, 28, would be rewarded after winning the Premier League title with City and Euro 2024 with Spain.
Vinicius Jr had been thought by many to be a frontrunner to win the award after scoring 24 goals across the 2023-24 season, helping Madrid win three trophies including La Liga and the Champions League.
He scored six Champions League goals, including in the final against Borussia Dortmund and twice against Bayern Munich in the semi-final stage, while scoring four against Barcelona in the domestic campaign.
A win for Rodri would be the first for a Premier League player since 2008, when Cristiano Ronaldo, then of Manchester United, won the first of his five crowns.
