Manchester City midfielder Rodri has been honored with the Ballon d’Or after a remarkable season highlighted by success with both his club and national team. The award was presented to him at a ceremony in Paris on Monday, organized by France Football and UEFA.
Rodri expressed his emotions about the award, saying, “A very special day, for me, my family, and my country.” He acknowledged his relatively low public profile due to his absence from social media, stating that he prefers to lead a normal life while enjoying his profession and striving to be a good person.
The 28-year-old player captured his fourth consecutive Premier League title with Manchester City in May, helping his team fend off Arsenal’s competition by winning their last nine matches. Rodri is now the first player from the English Premier League to receive the Ballon d’Or since Cristiano Ronaldo in 2008.
Rodri faced formidable competition for the award from Real Madrid’s Vinícius Júnior, who chose not to attend the ceremony after learning he would not win the trophy. Jude Bellingham finished third in the voting.
Vinícius, who was a strong contender following Madrid’s LaLiga and Champions League victories, expressed his frustration on social media. Eduardo Camavinga, a fellow Madrid player, criticized the voting process as “football politics,” while publicly supporting Vinícius.
The Ballon d’Or awards are determined through voting by a panel of journalists from the top 100 FIFA-ranked nations.
Rodri was a key member of the Spain national team that won Euro 2024, starting every match except for the third group stage game against Albania and earning the tournament’s player of the prize. He also set a world record by maintaining an unbeaten streak of 74 matches with both club and country from March 2023 to May 2024, only losing once in the FA Cup final against Manchester United.
With this award, Rodri becomes the second male Spanish player to win the Ballon d’Or, following Luis Suárez in 1960. Although Alfredo di Stefano, who won the award twice, was a Spanish football legend, he was born in Argentina. Spanish women have recently excelled as well, with the last four Ballon d’Or Féminin awards taken by players from Spain.
Rodri dedicated his win to Spanish football, recognizing the contributions of players like Andrés Iniesta and Xavi Hernández, who have not won this prestigious award. He emphasized the importance of acknowledging midfielders who often work quietly behind the scenes.
However, Rodri is expected to miss the remainder of the 2024-25 season due to a serious knee injury sustained during a match against Arsenal on September 22. He accepted the award using crutches and is focusing on his recovery.
At the same ceremony, Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal was awarded the Kopa Trophy for the best under-21 player, and Aitana Bonmatí earned her second consecutive Ballon d’Or Féminin. The Gerd Müller trophy for most goals was shared by Harry Kane and Kylian Mbappé, while Emiliano Martínez retained the title of best goalkeeper in the world following Argentina’s Copa América triumph.