Didier Drogba’s recent social media post mentioning “last minute” adjustments at the 2024 Ballon d’Or ceremony has stirred controversy around the award results.
The former Ivory Coast international and ex-Chelsea striker hosted the prestigious event at Paris’s Theatre of Chatelet, where Manchester City midfielder Rodri was named the 2024 Ballon d’Or winner, surpassing Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior and Jude Bellingham.
Drogba shared on his official X page, expressing pride in his team’s efforts despite unforeseen changes that disrupted part of the event script: “So proud of my Team and the work we’ve put on, especially with all the last minutes changes who [which] lead to the loss of half the written script we worked on the past 10 days,” part of his post read.
The post quickly sparked speculation, with many linking Drogba’s words to the perceived controversy surrounding Rodri’s win. One user commented, “Drogba just confirmed that Vinicius was robbed,” while another questioned, “What do you mean by last minute changes DD [Didier Drogba]?”
Some fans even humorously suggested Drogba should have changed the results himself, with one user saying, “Brother, you can cross out Rodri’s name and put Vini’s name in there.”
Vinicius Junior, along with the Real Madrid entourage, reportedly boycotted the event upon learning the Brazilian would not receive the top honor.