“It's an award for Spanish football” – Dani Olmo stands with Rodri Hernandez on the Ballon d'Or controversy

Earlier this week, 2024 Ballon d'Or winner Rodri Hernandez reacts to the controversy which surrounded his successful pursuit of the iconic award. In particular, there was condemnation in Spain, with many in the nation believing that Vinicius Junior should have been the winner.

Rodri called the reaction “strange”, and his international team-mate Dani Olmo also feels the same way. Ace for MDhis belief is that Spanish football as a whole should be celebrating its first winner of the Ballon d'Or by Luis Suarez in 1960.

“The year he had or the years he had in the past, with the icing on the cake of the European Championship, for which he was chosen as the best player, he deserved it. Seeing Rodri celebrating that moment with his family was very nice. What he said conveys what many of us feel: it's a Ballon d'Or for Spanish football. There were two beasts of world football that swept everything, and it's the soccer Spaniard who won.”

There is no doubt that Rodri was a deserving winner of the Ballon d'Or, and the same would have been said of Vinicius if he had succeeded. It is also true that Spanish football should be pleased with this success.