Didier Drogba, a former Ivory Coast player, hosted the 2024 Ballon d'Or on Monday night at the Theatre of Chatelet in Paris, France. Discussions over the event have been triggered by his recent social media post.
Rodri, a midfielder for Manchester City, was declared the 2024 Ballon d'Or winner. The 28-year-old defeated Jude Bellingham and Vinicius Junior of Real Madrid to win the title of finest player in the world. His outstanding efforts, particularly in the English Premier League and the 2024 UEFA Euros in Germany, earned him awards.
A post about certain "last minute" alterations during the occasion was made by Drogba on his official X page. Despite the difficulties they faced, he commended his team for their amazing efforts in organizing and hosting the esteemed celebration. "I'm really proud of my team and the work we've done, especially considering all the last-minute changes that [have] caused us to lose half of the written script we've worked on over the last ten days," the post said.
Nonetheless, the article has generated discussions and conjectures on the precise meaning of the former Chelsea striker's remarks. Many social media users who responded to the post attempted to connect it to the controversy surrounding the Men's Ballon d'Or winner. Another user asked, "What do you mean by last minute changes DD [Didier Drogba]??" and another remarked, "Drogba just confirmed that Vinicius was robbed."
Others indirectly connected his remarks to the popular belief that the Real Madrid player was more deserving of the prize than Rodri. Anotherk joked that Drogba ought to have switched the day's winner. "Brother, you can cross out Rodri's name and put Vini's name in there." When they learned that the Brazilian would not win the ultimate, Vinicius Junior and the rest of the Real Madrid team boycotted the event.