Manchester City midfielder earns men’s top honourFavourite Vinícius Júnior coming second riles MadridRodri and Aitana Bonmatí have been named winners of the 2024 Ballon d’Or at football’s annual awards ceremony in Paris, their trophies handed out at the end of a bizarre day in which Real Madrid’s delegation opted not to attend.In Rodri’s case …

JACK GAUGHAN IN PARIS: Manchester City star Rodri - out for the season with a double knee injury - became the first Premier League player to win the award since Cristiano Ronaldo in 2008.

IAN LADYMAN: Ten Hag was not a particularly sophisticated orator. His relatively rudimentary grasp of English didn't help him. But he is, by all accounts, just like that in his native language too.

CHRIS WHEELER: The 39-year-old, who was interviewed over the managerial vacancies at Liverpool and West Ham earlier this year, is said to be open to a move to Old Trafford.

Speaking to Pep Guardiola earlier this year about Rodri, it is fair to say that he was not expecting this. "If holding midfielders started getting the recognition of Erling Haaland and Kevin [De Bruyne], we would have a problem," Guardiola told Sky Sports.

Jamie Spence has told the Sky Sports Golf Podcast that the prices for tickets to the 2025 Ryder Cup are "ridiculous", while fellow pundit Rob Lee has warned the high fees could give "ammunition" to raucous fans.

Manchester City midfielder Rodri won the men's Ballon d'Or and Barcelona playmaker Aitana Bonmati took the women's award as a "disrespected" Real Madrid boycotted the prestigious ceremony in Paris despite being named men's club of the year.

Carlo Ancelotti and Emma Hayes win the 2024 Ballon d'Or Coach of the Year awards in Paris.

Spain and Barcelona midfielder Aitana Bonmati wins the women's Ballon d'Or for the second year in a row.

Manchester City and Spain midfielder Rodri wins the men's Ballon d'Or - awarded to the best footballer of the year - for the first time.

Manchester United are in talks about appointing Sporting coach Ruben Amorim as Erik ten Hag's replacement.

First Premier League winner of Ballon d’Or since 2008

Kylian Mbappe also missed the chance to pick up the Gerd Muller trophy he won jointly with England captain Harry Kane.

Amorim, who has won two Portuguese league titles with Sporting, was linked with Liverpool and West Ham earlier this year but neither move materialised.

SAMI MOKBEL: Revered by supporters, with the backing of former team-mates who have used their public profiles to support his appointment. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer all over again.

With Vinicius seemingly missing out on the top prize in a major upset, not a single club representative was present to accept the gong.

He was picking up the Gerd Muller trophy for best striker - an award he shared with Kylian Mbappe, though the Frenchman was not present due to Real Madrid's boycott.