Man City’s Rodri wins men’s Ballon D’Or

Manchester City and Spain midfielder Rodri was awarded the men's Ballon d'Or after securing a fourth consecutive Premier League title and winning Euro 2024 with Spain. The decision to award the prize to a deep-lying midfielder rather than an attacker surprised many observers, with Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior — who had won the Liga and Champions League double — widely regarded as the pre-ceremony favourite.

Hours before the ceremony in Paris, Real Madrid announced its delegation would not attend, citing perceived disrespect towards Vinicius after reports suggested the winner's identity had leaked despite organisers insisting it was closely guarded. Rodri, 28 at the time, had been pivotal as City fended off Arsenal for the title and was named Player of the Tournament at Euro 2024 as Spain won in Germany. Barcelona and Spain's Aitana Bonmatí won her second consecutive women's Ballon d'Or on the same night, having led her club to a historic continental quadruple and won the Nations League with Spain.

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Pep Guardiola described Rodri as "the best in his position": "He can do everything: the quality, he reads the game, his mentality, he's always ready. He's excellent in so many aspects, his presence, his physicality, he's a complete player." Beyond his passing and ball-winning ability, Rodri has a habit of scoring decisive goals — his goal won City their first Champions League in 2023, and he scored Spain's equaliser in their Euro 2024 last-16 tie against Georgia. Spain's Euros-winning coach Luis de la Fuente called him "a perfect computer" who "manages everything, emotions and moments, in a masterful way."

Rodri's importance to City was underlined by the fact that each of the team's past four Premier League defeats had come in matches he did not play. At the time of the award he was unbeaten in 52 consecutive Premier League appearances, a run dating back to February 2023. City's hopes of a record fifth consecutive title took a serious hit in September 2024 when Rodri suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury that ruled him out for the rest of the season — a stretch that exposed just how central he had become to Guardiola's system.