Ballon d’Or: ‘He’s a leader’ – Matthaus names player that deserves award more than Vinicius

Germany legend, Lothar Matthaus has insisted that Manchester City’s Rodri deserved to win the 2024 Ballon d’Or ahead of Real Madrid Vinicius Junior.

According to Matthaus, the Spain international is a leader, who behind the reason for this country to winning the Euro 2024 and Man City winning the Premier League.

The 2024 Ballon d’Or will be announced in October and both Vinicius and Rodri are among top contenders for the award.

Speaking about the 2024 Ballon d’Or, Matthaus said (as per Bild):

“It is the case in this election that those who score goals are always more in the spotlight than others. With victories in the Champions League and the Spanish championship, he has won titles with Real Madrid that justify this award.

“Personally, I only see Vinicius in third place in my ranking of this year’s world footballers.

“For me, Rodri deserved the Ballon d’Or more than Vinicius. He was the thinker and leader of European champions Spain, and he also won the Premier League with Manchester City.

“These are two titles that his teams won, thanks to his strong performances. That is why he was the outstanding player of the year for me.”