When you play for Real Madrid and your teammates are both football and marketing superstars whose shadows are nearly impossible to escape, then you have a problem. There’s no move, goal, or assist at the Santiago Bernabéu, Etihad, Allianz Arena, or San Siro that could place Rodrygo where he’s belonged since 2022—in the same league as Vinícius Júnior, among the top ten footballers on the planet. Yet, this year, Rodrygo is not among the world’s top 30 players. This significantly undermines the credibility of the recently announced Top 30 nominees for the Ballon d’Or. Let’s be clear, Rodrygo hasn’t yet had a season worthy of the most prestigious individual award in football, but omitting him from such a wide list is a footballing heresy. On the list are players like Artem Dovbyk (congrats on the Pichichi award), Vitinha, Rúben Dias, Hakan Çalhanoğlu, Mats Hummels, and Martin Ødegaard.🚨🇧🇷📸| Neymar’s Instagram story after Rodrygo wasn’t nominated in the Ballon d’Or top 30. “Top 5 in the world, minimum. Superstar” pic.twitter.com/7oTCtXvcXx— All Things Brazil™ 🇧🇷 (@SelecaoTalk) September 4, 2024 Real Madrid had seven representatives on the list, excluding Kylian Mbappé, who earned his spot as a Paris Saint-Germain player. The others are Vinícius Júnior, Jude Bellingham, Dani Carvajal, Fede Valverde, Antonio Rüdiger, and the retired Toni Kroos. It’s even debatable whether Rodrygo should have replaced one of his teammates on the list. Rodrygo’s season consisted of 16 goals and eight assists across all competitions. While these are notable figures, they aren’t overwhelming. However, Rodrygo is the player who always shows up when Real Madrid desperately needs goals. He’s the one who, in the 2022 Champions League semi-final second leg, lifted Real Madrid from the brink of defeat at the Bernabéu with two lightning-fast goals in the 90th and first minutes of stoppage time, paving the way for a knockout blow to Manchester City. He also scored against City again this spring in the Champions League quarterfinals, both at the Bernabéu and in the Etihad return leg. In the first leg of the semi-final, he assisted the crucial equalizer at 2-2 at the Allianz Arena. Without the contribution of the 23-year-old Brazilian, Real Madrid wouldn’t have been European champions in 2022, and they likely wouldn’t have lifted the trophy in the 2023/24 season either.Rodrygo glorifies Man City: ‘They are the best team in the world’Rodrygo is that X-factor who, when the pressure is off, quietly accepts the supremacy of Vinícius, Bellingham (and Mbappé this season). But when things get serious and Real Madrid’s legs start to buckle, he steps up with a “Hold my beer” attitude, becoming a lethal force for opposing defenses. Many, speaking casually, might claim that Rodrygo is technically a step below Vinícius, but without dissecting his entire career as a former Santos prodigy, we only need to recall Rodrygo’s dazzling solo effort against Atlético Madrid in the 2022/23 Copa del Rey. Real was losing to their city rivals, but then Rodrygo took the ball and sliced through their defense like threading pearls onto a necklace.Everybody has denied Vini’s racist claims, even his teammateRecently, even the legendary Rivaldo spoke about the injustice done to the 23-year-old.”There are plenty of reasons for him to be upset and to throw this issue to the media and people who only talk about the trio of Mbappé, Bellingham, and Vinícius. Rodrygo is a very important player for Real Madrid, and he shouldn’t trail behind any of his attacking teammates. He is on the same level as Mbappé, Bellingham, and Vinícius, and he has every right to express his frustrations. He’s a forward who has made a difference for Real Madrid for years, and the fact that his importance isn’t discussed more is, to me, a great injustice”.Rodrygo has felt this injustice for years. At first, he remained silent, but by May this year, he began to speak out. Starting with a statement before the Champions League final, he hinted that many things could happen in the future (possibly leaving Real Madrid), and then a post after the draw with Mallorca, which he quickly deleted. He was Real’s only scorer in that match, while the much-talked-about BMV trio (Bellingham, Mbappé, and Vinícius) came up empty. Among other things, Rodrygo wrote, “Add an R to that BMV acronym.”🚨 Rodrygo on IG. pic.twitter.com/ePeOOuNN2t— Madrid Xtra (@MadridXtra) September 4, 2024 The quiet savior of Real Madrid is now hungry for recognition. He’s had enough of being an outsider in elite company. He wants to be included and not left out when the hype surrounding Real’s new Galácticos is discussed. He’s been speaking on the pitch for a long time, but when he didn’t see his name on the list of Ballon d’Or nominees, he once again had to nudge the media to talk about him. Alongside a collage of photos showing his accomplishments and trophies from last season, Rodrygo posted an emoji laughing in irony and a figure with arms wide open. An ironic laugh and the question: “What more do I need to do for you to start taking me seriously?”##NAJAVA_MECA_8312564##
