When Rodri was crowned the 2024 Ballon d’Or winner back in October, the reaction should have been a celebration of his brilliance.

It should have been recognition of a midfielder at the peak of his powers, whose influence helped Manchester City secure another Premier League title and Spain claim glory at the 2024 Euros. Instead, his achievement was marred by an ongoing campaign of disrespect, which continues to simmer months later.

Former Manchester United and Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo is the latest figure to fan the flames, delivering his verdict at the Globe Soccer Awards in Dubai on Friday. According to Ronaldo, it was Vinicius Junior—not Rodri—who deserved football’s highest individual accolade.

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He cited Real Madrid’s La Liga and Champions League triumphs as justification, which prompted knowing nods from the likes of Jude Bellingham watching on. On this occasion, Vinicius was recognised with the Globe Soccer Award for Best Men's Player, but the bitterness over the Ballon d’Or outcome clearly still lingers.

It is worth noting that Real Madrid’s reaction to Rodri’s triumph has been nothing short of disgraceful. From boycotting the ceremony, to a social media frenzy led by Vinicius’ teammates, the collective outrage paints a picture of entitlement that has come to define the Galactico culture. Whatever happened to humility in victory and graciousness in defeat?

It’s worth noting that the Ballon d’Or vote was close—less than 100 points separated Rodri and Vinicius. But this wasn’t a landslide, nor was it a robbery.

Rodri’s win recognised his instrumental role in City’s domestic and European campaigns and his outstanding performances at the heart of Spain’s midfield. His achievements cannot and should not be dismissed.

By contrast, while Vinicius delivered in key moments, including scoring in Real Madrid’s Champions League final win over Borussia Dortmund, his domestic output was modest. His 15 La Liga goals were outscored by players such as Harry Kane, Kylian Mbappe, Lautaro Martinez and Dominic Solanke across Europe’s top leagues.

This isn’t to diminish Vinicius’ ability, but it raises questions about the magnitude of the outcry. Was his campaign truly so extraordinary as to demand months of relentless indignation?

The contrast with City’s response to Erling Haaland losing the 2023 Ballon d’Or to Lionel Messi is stark. Haaland enjoyed one of the greatest individual seasons in modern football in 2022/23, smashing goal-scoring records and helping City to a Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League treble. Yet, when Lionel Messi won, there was no boycott, no public outrage, and certainly no drawn-out campaign to diminish the winner’s achievements. Instead, City accepted the decision with class.

Ronaldo’s comments have once again reignited this unnecessary debate. It’s one thing for fans and media to argue over individual accolades, that is simply part of football. But for professionals to engage in such public disrespect is entirely different.

Without Rodri, City have struggled this season. The problems for Pep Guardiola's side cannot be down to his injury alone, but it begs the question of where the champions would be had he not torn his ACL earlier in the campaign. At a time when truly world-class defensive midfielders are increasingly rare, Rodri’s brilliance should be celebrated, not downplayed.

Football is, of course, a sport of opinions. That being said, respect should always remain its foundation.