Despite Real Madrid boycotting this year's Ballon d'Or event, winner Rodri has revealed that one of the club's players called him on the phone leading up to the ceremony.
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The Manchester City star got his hands on the accolade in Paris on Monday night, beating the likes of Vinicius Junior and Jude Bellingham to the prize.
On the day leading up to the event, news broke in Spain that Los Blancos were set to boycott the ceremony after it became clear Vinicius would not win the prestigious individual trophy.
The organisers of the Ballon d'Or, France Football, have since insisted nobody knew ahead of time who the victor would be, while they also revealed Real attempted to put pressure on them for information.
Various Los Blancos players have since issued messages of support for Vinicius online, including Eduardo Camavinga, Rodrygo and retired midfielder Toni Kroos, although Rodri has said Dani Carvajal was congratulatory on a phone call prior to his name being called out on stage.
"I received a call from Dani Carvajal, who was very happy for me," he told Movistar Plus+.
"I wanted to remember him because I think he also deserved it. He has similar values to mine, of teamwork, of loving a club and of giving everything. We share many things, we have been brought together more by the injury."
The Real and Spain right-back finished fourth in the final Ballon d'Or ranking, with Jude Bellingham placing third and Vinicius second.
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The club has since suggested Carvajal would have been a worthy winner after Vinicius, and that their boycott was due to a "lack of respect".
