It was supposed to be Vinícius Júnior' s year. In 2024 Real Madrid 's star forward had won LaLiga , and he'd won the UEFA Champions League . Next, logically, would be the Ballon d'Or.

Almost everybody thought so, a feeling most vociferously expressed by former Manchester United player Rio Ferdinand, who bellowed "Ballon d'Or!" into a microphone six times -- count them -- after Vini Jr. scored Madrid's second goal in the 2024 Champions League final.

But Vinícius didn't win the 2024 Ballon d'Or. Rodri did. On Oct. 28 last year, Vinícius and Real Madrid discovered that the Brazil forward was not about to cap a memorable 12 months by claiming the most prestigious individual prize in football. In fact, he was going to finish as runner-up to the more low-key Manchester City

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