The Egyptian superstar, 32, is favourite to win the award, regarded as the top individual prize in football, after a sensational campaign so far.
Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti vehemently defended his sides’ decision to boycott the Ballon d’Or award ceremony last year in protest of Vinicius Jr’s snub and said that Rodri, who edged out Vinicius for the award, should have won the prize a year earlier instead of Lionel Messi.
Manchester City midfielder Rodri took the prestigious prize in October with favourite Vinicius in second place
“Why would it hurt me? It was my moment, to enjoy with my family. The last thing I’d be thinking about is people who weren’t there, and didn’t want to participate,” Rodri said in an interview with COPE radio.
It was revealed that five of the 99 journalists who voted for this year’s Ballon d’Or left eventual winner Rodri out of their top 10 list while three journos did not have Vinicius Junior, who came second after the Spanish midfielder, in the top 10 of their ballot.
Brazil coach Dorival Junior said that it was an injustice that forward Vinicius Junior did not win the Ballon d’Or this year.
"Honestly I don't see it as extraordinary, even if some people do... when I was little I also looked on from the outside, watching from my house seeing Messi lift Ballons d'Or and thinking it was incredible. Once you are on the inside, you take it normally, naturally, although if I stop to think about it, it's something really big."
Rodri becoming the first Manchester City player to win the Ballon d'Or award for the best player in the world on Monday did come as a surprise to many, and with ample reasons too as he pipped favourite Vinicius Junior of Real Madrid and Brazil to lift the most prestigious individual award in football.
European champions Real announced their decision to skip Monday night's gala ceremony in Paris just hours before it took place after apparently learning that their Brazilian striker Vinicius had not won the men's award.
Neymar of Barcelona has claimed that winning trophies motivates him more than being named the best footballer in the world.
Lionel Messi's goal at the weekend saw the Argentine reduce Cristiano Ronaldo lead to five in the pair's head-to-head scoring contest in La Liga.
Cristiano Ronaldo explains to reporters how he helped out his rival Lionel Messi with language issues and now expects to be paid.
Lionel Messi's father says he could never have dreamed of the success Barcelona's five-time Ballon d'Or winner has enjoyed.
Culprits write 'Messi' on the back of the bronze homage to the Portugal international Cristiano Ronaldo, scribbling the number 10 underneath.
Lionel Messi is rewriting football history. Before the emergence of the Argentine attacker just over a decade ago, the game's records were spread out among a select band of legends. But now there are hardly any left for anyone else.
Barcelona midfielder Arda Turan believes superstar forward Lionel Messi is "a miracle from God".
Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi is targeting an unprecedented fifth Ballon d'Or award in Zurich, with the Argentine heavily favoured to reclaim the prize from three-time winner Cristiano Ronaldo.
Barcelona star Lionel Messi has credited Diego Maradona with being his biggest influence starting a career in football.
The winter window gets closer with each passing day and the transfer rumour mill is starting to pick up steam. Here’s the latest and greatest from Europe’s top football leagues.
