Rodrygo breaks silence after being snubbed for 2024 Ballon d’Or following amazing season with Real Madrid

Brazil and Real Madrid forward Rodrygo opened up about his omission from the 2024 Ballon d’Or nominees list, expressing disappointment. 

Rodrygo breaks silence after being snubbed for 2024 Ballon d’Or following amazing season with Real Madrid

Rodrygo opened up about his 2024 Ballon d'Or omission. (via Transfermarkt)

Real Madrid and Brazil forward Rodrygo broke his silence on his omission from the 2024 Ballon d’Or 30-man shortlist, despite having a brilliant season. The 23-year-old forward asserted that he deserved a spot on the list, and expressed his disappointment with it. 

Rodrygo is currently a part of the Brazilian squad, and scored a brilliant goal in a 1-0 win over Ecuador. He was shockingly omitted from the Ballon d’Or 30-man shortlist most recently, despite him having helped Real Madrid win the La Liga and UCL titles last season. He ended the season with 16 goals and seven assists as well, but failed to make it to the list, even enraging fellow Brazilian star Neymar Jr. as he backed the young forward to be ‘among the top five players right now’.

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Speaking to ESPN on his Ballon d’Or snub, Rodrygo admitted that it came as a major surprise to him, and was also upsetting. The forward stated that he deserved to be nominated for the award, but however did not wish to belittle the other players’ contributions, who had made among the top 30. Moreover, the young Brazilian stated that he received messages of support from his teammates, as well. He had previously shared a post on social media, mocking his exclusion from the list.

I was upset when I saw they didn’t include me in Ballon d’Or nominees. I think I deserved it. I don’t want to belittle the players who are there, but I think I had a place. It was a surprise.
Rodrygo on his Ballon d’Or snub (via ESPN)

Meanwhile, several other Real Madrid stars made it to the 30-man shortlist, including Toni Kroos, Vinicius Jr., Jude Bellingham, Federico Valverde, Antonio Rudiger, Dani Carvajal and new signing Kylian Mbappe. 

Brazilian forward Rodrygo emphasizes that the national team needs Neymar Jr. back before 2026 World Cup

Brazilian star Rodrygo, in a recent interview, stated that the national team needs Neymar Jr. back to fitness, in hopes of the pursuit of a record sixth World Cup in 2026. Brazil will be one of the front-runners to win the tournament, in the USA, Canada and Mexico. 

Rodrygo on Neymar
Rodrygo backed Neymar to return to the Brazilian national side, ahead of the 2026 World Cup. (via GOAL)

The national team has been enduring a rough patch recently. Some fans and experts have attributed this recent downfall to the absence of Neymar, who is out with an injury that he sustained last year. Rodrygo, has now emphasized upon the return of the Al-Hilal star to the national setup, as soon as possible, in order to lead them through the final tournament.

He's our star, our best player. Anyone can see it, how much he is missed. Having Neymar healthy, which is what we all want, he is in the final stages of his recovery. We want him back as soon as possible.
Rodrygo on Neymar’s return (via ESPN)

The Brazilian record goalscorer, has been plagued with injury issues for a long time, and his absence has visibly affected the national team. His return, as Rodrygo stated, would be key to Brazil’s success.

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