Arsenal star unhappy as Rodri wins Ballon d’Or, says ‘best in the world’ player should have won

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The 2024 Ballon d’Or ceremony has taken place, with four Arsenal stars nominated for the award.

William Saliba, Martin Odegaard, Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka received nominations for the individual prize, seeing their form over the past year credited.

In a star studded list, it was Manchester City midfielder Rodri who took home the award, becoming only the third Premier League player to win the Ballon d’Or.

It’s been 16 years since Cristiano Ronaldo was named the world’s best during his time at Manchester United, emphasising the magnitude of Rodri’s achievement.

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Gabriel Magalhaes and Mikel Merino clash over Ballon d’Or decision

There’s little argument over whether Rodri deserved the award, showing his importance for both club and country across the 2023/24 campaign.

Not only did the midfielder win the Premier League with City, but also played an integral role in Spain’s Euro 2024 victory, playing alongside Arsenal’s Mikel Merino. 

Merino applauded his teammate on Instagram after the ceremony, saying “Grande!!” under a photo of them both however, not everyone at Colney shared the summer signing’s happiness. 

Gabriel Magalhaes, like many others, was insistent that Vinicius Junior should have won the Ballon d’Or, as he posted a photo of the Real Madrid winger on Instagram after the ceremony. 

The Brazilian wrote, “best in the world!!!” under a picture of his Selecao teammate, with there set to be some conversations in North London over who deserved the prize more.

Where Arsenal players finished in the 2024 Ballon d’Or

Another conversation that will be had regarding the Ballon d’Or is where the Arsenal representatives finished in the rankings.

Captain Odegaard finished highest out of his teammates, placing 19th, followed by Saka in 21st, Saliba in 24th and Rice in 26th.

It was a memorable night for former Gunner Granit Xhaka, who finished higher than anyone currently in Mikel Arteta’s squad, taking 16th place. 

There was better luck in the Ballon d’Or Feminin for Arsenal, as Mariona Caldentey finished eighth in the world after winning the Women’s Champions League with Barcelona before joining the Gunners.