2024 is probably the first year in football in a long time where it’s difficult to pick one standout moment of the year. Manchester City won a treble in 2023, Lionel Messi ascended to immortality in 2022, Italy won the Euros in 2021, and before that, we need look no further than Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo to find a standout player Was. But in 2024 – for the first time in years – the extraordinary thing was that there was no extraordinary moment.
And perhaps the best way to indicate that there was nothing extraordinary was the fact that neither Messi nor Ronaldo made the top 30 of Ballon d’Or nominees. The prize they once couldn’t stop winning is finally gone for good.
2024 holds a surprise in football. Perhaps more than we are used to. Bayern Munich no longer wins the Bundesliga, dark horse Spain wins the Euros, and a defensive midfielder wins the Ballon d’Or. By the grace of God, Ivory Coast won the Africa Cup of Nations after firing their manager midway through the tournament!
And what a ride it was. Ivory Coast barely reached the knockouts at the AFCON on home soil. Their manager was sacked midway through and the fallout could not have been more devastating. Nor could the comeback look any more spectacular than it did in the end. ‘The Elephants’ defeated everyone including then defending champions Senegal in the knockouts to claim a historic AFCON title in their region.
What about Bayer Leverkusen? Not only did he dethrone the unbeatable, but he became invincible. Zero defeats in 34 Bundesliga games. Zero defeats in the German Cup. And if it weren’t for the unexpected defeat in the Europa League final, there would have been zero defeats the entire season. With Xabi Alonso at the wheel, Florian Wirtz in the hole, Leverkusen were the team of the year.
Let’s go to Spain. Before Euro 2024, England were heavyweights. People imagined Germany on home soil. France is always a favourite. But one team defeated them all. Spain. They did not boast the best team, but undoubtedly played the best football.
Rodri was a metronome. His promotion took the shine off midfield partner Fabian Ruiz who was arguably better. Nico Williams was on a tear on the flanks, and his wing partner? Oops. When one tries to describe what Lamin Yamal is going through at the age of 17, superlatives fall short.
It’s hard to live up to the words ‘the next Messi’. But Lamin Yamal can do that very well.
He finished 8th in the Ballon d’Or. At the age of 17!
Perhaps the Ballon d’Or, and the volatile nature of individual awards, is not worth the debate. But it must be discussed to celebrate the best individual players. The sweetest cream of the crop. And in 2024, there were three. Jude Bellingham, Vinicius Jr. and Rodri.
Bellingham flew to Real Madrid and played a decisive role whenever the occasion called for it. El Clasico winner? check. Champions League in your first season at Real Madrid? check. Bicycle-kick equalizes in the Euros in the 95th minute? check.
His teammate Vinicius was stratospheric. If footballers were superheroes, there would be no one more feared in the current scenario than Vinicius. Without a doubt, the player in world football most capable of turning a game around with the click of a finger.
But the golden ball went to Rodri. In a sport that usually requires you to score goals to challenge for major honours, Rodri was crowned the heartthrob of Manchester City and Spain. Just look at how bad his club’s condition is now that he’s injured. Rodri was so good that people had to realize that a defensive midfielder could be the most important player in the world.
Football in 2024 was uncertain. It was diverse. It had no unique characteristics. In this, Pep Guardiola had to face defeat in eight out of 11 games. This eventually saw Kylian Mbappé join Real Madrid. This was a call before the Messi and Ronaldo era. And now it’s time for us to embrace it.
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