Ruben Dias has been ranked higher than Cole Palmer amongst the 30 players who were nominated to win the Ballon d’Or.
Dias was ranked in 23rd place while Palmer placed 25th on the list.
The Chelsea attacker had an incredible debut season at Stamford Bridge, with 27 goals and 15 assists to his name in all competitions as he also went on to shine at Euro 2024 as an impact substitute.
Dias was named the toughest player in training by Bernardo Silva as he started 42 games for Pep Guardiola’s men during the previous campaign as they went on to win the Premier League.
Unlike Cole Palmer, the Portuguese international also played in the Champions League.
Palmer did not play in any European competition unlike his former Manchester City teammate.
Chelsea fans fuming as Cole Palmer ranks two spots lower than Ruben Dias for Ballon d’Or
However, at the European Championship, Dias’ Portugal side were knocked out in the quarter-finals by France on penalties.
Meanwhile, the 22-year-old’s England side lost 2-1 to Spain in the final where he came off the bench and scored a brilliant goal.
Chelsea supporters expressed their anger online at seeing Dias get a higher ranking for the Ballon d’Or than Palmer.
Yo @ballondor imagine ranking Ruben Dias ahead of ice cold Palmer 🤣🤣
Your award has lost it’s relevance and it’s time to pack it up
— JOHN THE PUNTER (@Johnthepunting)
October 28, 2024
View Tweet
Another fan wrote: “Wait, [William] Saliba and Ruben Dias finisher ahead of Cole Palmer for the Ballon d’Or? Forget Vinicius [Jr], that’s where the real scandal is.”
A Chelsea fan stated: “Ruben Dias had a better season than Palmer apparently, great.”
Another fan claimed: “I just saw Ruben Dias over Palmer, France Football won’t know peace.”
Lastly, a Chelsea fan expressed his disappointment by stating: “They put Ruben Dias, who played half the season and Saka above Palmer for the Ballon d’Or.”
How high has Dias been ranked for the Ballon d’Or at Man City?
Since signing for Pep Guardiola’s side in 2020, the 27-year-old has been a revelation.
As a result, Dias has been nominated for the Ballon d’Or every year bar one he has been at the Etihad Stadium.
The former Benfica colossus is one of the best defenders in the world. Here are Dias’ Ballon d’Or rankings during his spell at City.
| DIAS BALLON D’OR RANKINGS AT MAN CITY | |
| YEAR | RANKING |
| 2021 | 26 |
| 2022 | – |
| 2023 | 30 |
| 2024 | 23 |
It could be argued that the four-time Premier League winner has had superior seasons at Manchester City than during the 2023/2024 campaign.
In his debut campaign, Dias won the Premier League Player of the Season and the Football Writer’s Association Football of The Year awards as well; however, he was ranked as low as in 26th place in 2021.
Similarly, in 2023, the decorated centre-back was ranked in 30th place despite winning the treble.
As Dias has received his highest-ever ranking for the Ballon d’Or, perhaps his incredible body of work has finally been recognised while Palmer not playing in either the Champions League or the Europa League is why his contributions have not deemed to be as vital.
Related Posts