Ballon d'Or: Thierry Henry Names his Pick for Prestigious Award, Snubs Vinicius Junior

• France icon Thierry Henry has named Manchester City midfielder Rodri as his pick for the 2024 Ballon d’Or
• The Arsenal legend didn't hesitate to back the Spanish international after his superlative display in the European Championship
• Meanwhile, Vinicius was unstoppable, scoring a hat-trick as Madrid clawed from the jaws of defeat to beat Borussia Dortmund

Arsenal legend Thierry Henry has chosen Manchester City midfielder Rodri as his favourite for the 2024 Ballon d’Or, calling him the "heart" of Pep Guardiola’s team.

The prestigious award, given to the world's best footballer, will be presented at its 68th annual ceremony in Paris on Monday, 28 October.

Rodri, along with Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior, is among the 30 nominees for the 2024 Ballon d’Or.

Despite being sidelined with an injury, Henry believes Rodri is a deserving winner, particularly after leading Spain to victory at Euro 2024.

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‘Rodri,’ Henry said on CBS Sports when asked to name his Ballon d’Or pick. ‘I [always] wanted Xavi and Andres Iniesta to win it when they were performing.

‘People forget about midfielders and what they do. They’re the heart of the team. He is the heart of Manchester City.

‘I know he didn’t win the Champions League [last season] but he won the Euros [with Spain].’

Reactions to the post:

Here are some of the responses from netizens.

@pindsultani:

"Fingers crossed for him."

@starboicarlyy:

"Vini winning it before Mbappe make me understand how life works."

@Ahktar101:

"I want to know the reason why Rodry is in this conversation."

@Chukwuebuka_7:

"Jude Bellingham deserves it more than anyone else."

@Oluwasemilogo38:

"All I know is a Real Madrid player is definitely winning it."

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Henry came close to picking Vinicius Junior but decided against it after his performances for Brazil at the Copa America.

‘Vini Jr didn’t perfom at the Copa America,’ Henry added. ‘But is he [still] a worthy winner? Yes.

‘He is outstanding, I keep on saying. For me, right now, as a forward, he is the best in the world. So he deserves it [too].’

Ancelotti backs Vinicius for Ballon d'Or

Relatedly, Briefly News reported that Carlo Ancelotti has already backed Vinicius Junior to win next year's Ballon d'Or following his outstanding display against Dortmund.

Vinicius was unstoppable as Real Madrid mounted a comeback from 2-0 down to secure a 5-2 victory over the Bundesliga side in the Champions League.

Source: YEN.com.gh