“Thanks for the reminder” - Toni Kroos hilariously responds to 2024 Ballon d'Or nomination after retirement update
Toni Kroos shared a hilarious tweet after his 2024 Ballon d'Or nomination on Wednesday, September 4. He was named in the 30-men shortlist for the award, which will be presented at the ceremony organized by France Football on October 28.
Kroos had an excellent 2023-24 campaign with Real Madrid, winning the UEFA Champions League, La Liga, and the Supercopa de Espana. He played a key role in all those triumphs, registering one goal and 10 assists in 48 games across competitions.
He also announced his return to international football as he featured for host nation Germany at Euro 2024. They reached the quarter-finals, where they lost against eventual champions Spain in extra time. Kroos then retired from the sport after the Euros as he had announced earlier in the season.
Ballon d'Or's official X account announced Kroos' nomination for the award, writing:
Nominated for the 2024 Ballon d’Or
"@ToniKroos @realmadrid (retirement). @DFB_Team (retirement)"
Kroos took a dig at the post's usage of the word "retirement", writing:
"(retirement) thx for the reminder"
Kroos is among seven Real Madrid players who have been nominated for the coveted prize. Vinicius Jr., Jude Bellingham, and Dani Carvajal are among the favorites to win it. Antonio Rudiger, Kylian Mbappe, and Federico Valverde are also nominated from Los Blancos.
Surprisingly though, Rodrygo Goes has not been nominated for the award despite playing an important role in Real Madrid's success last season. He scored 17 goals and provided nine assists in 51 games across competitions.
When Carlo Ancelotti backed Vinicius Jr. to win 2024 Ballon d'Or
Among the 30-men list of nominees for the coveted prize, Vinicius Jr. is widely regarded as the favorite to win it. He was exceptional for Real Madrid last season, despite having some injury struggles at one point. He scored 24 goals and provided 11 assists in 39 games across competitions.
Vinicius scored in some big games, including a hat-trick against Barcelona in the Supercopa de Espana final. He also scored in the UEFA Champions League final against Borussia Dortmund and was named the Player of the Tournament.
In May, even before the Champions League final, Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti said (via Madrid Xtra):
"I think Viní Jr is close to WINNING the Ballon d'Or."
The last Real Madrid player to win the coveted prize was Karim Benzema, doing so in 2022.