The 68th annual Ballon d’Or trophy ceremony occurred on October 28th, 2024. The Ballon d’Or trophy is awarded to the best soccer player of the year. This year, the four players on the men’s shortlist were Rodri, Vinicius Junior, Jude Bellingham, and Dani Carvajal. Manchester City midfielder Rodri was the favorite to win the award, and he ended up winning his first Ballon d’Or trophy. In the 2023/2024 soccer season, Rodri won the English Premier League with Manchester City and the European Championship with Spain. In the 2022/2023 Season, Rodri won the treble with Manchester City. Winning the treble means that you win three trophies in a year. In 2023/2022 Rodri won the Premier League, Champions League, and FA Cup.
The women’s Ballon d’Or ceremony also took place on October 28th. The top four players on the shortlist were Aitinia Bonmati, Caroline Graham Hansen, Salma Parelluelo, and Sophia Smith. For the second year in a row, the award went to FC Barcelona player Aitinia Bonmati.
The Ballon d’Or was not the only award presented at the ceremony. Other trophies awarded included the Kopa Trophy, the Yashin Trophy, and the Socrates Award.
