The delivery of the 2024 Ballon d'Or generated great controversy in the football world. Many fans believe that Vinícius Júnior deserved to win the award instead of the Spanish midfielder Rodrigo. After the ceremony, Pep Guardiola, Manchester City's coach, was asked about it and recalled a similar situation with Xavi Hernández and Andrés Iniesta.
Guardiola acknowledged that both Xavi and Iniesta deserved to win the award, but at that time, no one could compete against Lionel Messi, except Cristiano Ronaldo. "At that time, I remember when three players from La Masía could have won the Ballon d'Or, but Xavi and Iniesta didn't succeed because there was a monster," he expressed.
The Manchester City coach's comment sparked the rivalry between Messi and Ronaldo by referring to Messi as the "father of the CR7 monster." Guardiola praised both players for their incredible achievements over the last 20 years and highlighted the undeniable quality of both footballers.
Finally, Guardiola considered Rodri's victory in the Ballon d'Or as a triumph for Spanish football. By honoring players like Xavi and Iniesta, who never won the award, the coach believed that Rodri received what Spanish football deserved on the world stage.
