Rodri and Aitana Bonmatí have been named winners of the 2024 Ballon d’Or at football’s annual awards ceremony in Paris. Bonmatí retained her 2023 title while Rodri won it for the first time following an extraordinary year’s work when the Manchester City and Spain midfielder became a Premier League and European champion, also winning the Club World Cup. The Real Madrid forward, Vinícius Júnior, had been hot favourite to win the award but they cancelled their plans to attend on learning he had been pipped to the prize. Their boycott meant nobody was on hand to pick up the award for men’s club of the year. Rodri and Bonmatí scoop Ballons d’Or as Real Madrid boycott big awards night