Manchester City midfielder Rodri has been crowned the recipient of this year’s prestigious Ballon d’Or award. He triumphed over formidable contenders from Real Madrid, including Jude Bellingham, Vinicius Junior, and Dani Carvajal.
The Spanish international has become the second Premier League player to receive the prestigious award in 16 years, following Cristiano Ronaldo’s triumph in 2008.
During the season, Rodri achieved remarkable success by securing the Premier League, UEFA Super Cup, and FIFA Club World Cup championships with Manchester City, along with the Euro 2024 triumph with the Spanish national team.
Rodri is the first midfielder to win the award since Luka Modric won it in 2018. Lionel Messi has won three of the prizes since then, while Karim Benzema has won one.
The award ceremony was unfortunately canceled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which prevented Robert Lewandowski from having the opportunity to receive the prestigious trophy.