Manchester City and Spain midfielder Rodri was awarded the Ballon d’Or on Monday after a remarkable season, claiming trophies for both club and country. The 28-year-old was instrumental in Manchester City’s fourth consecutive Premier League title and earned Player of the Tournament honors at Euro 2024, where Spain celebrated victory in Germany.
Rodri was honored with the prestigious Ballon d’Or award at a ceremony in Paris, hosted by France Football in partnership with UEFA. This accolade makes him the first Premier League player to claim the honor since Cristiano Ronaldo did so in 2008 during his first spell with Manchester United. He is also the second Spanish male player to win the award, following Barcelona legend Luis Suárez, who achieved it in 1960.
“A very special day, for me, my family, and my country,” Rodri said. “I understand that because I have no social media, people don’t know me much. I am just a normal guy. I enjoy the sport, I enjoy my profession. And I try to be a good person. I am a very calm person.”
Rodri's crowning moment! 👑🤩#ballondor pic.twitter.com/fklfcJJLUS
— Manchester City (@ManCity) October 28, 2024
The Spaniard, who accepted the award on crutches, is expected to be sidelined for the rest of the 2024/25 season after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury during Manchester City’s 2-2 draw with Arsenal last month.
Earlier, Barcelona and Spain star Aitana Bonmatí clinched her second consecutive women’s Ballon d’Or, guiding her club to a groundbreaking continental quadruple and securing the Nations League title with Spain.
Why did the Real Madrid contingent sit out the Ballon d’Or ceremony?
Real Madrid’s actions cast a shadow over Manchester City and Spain midfielder Rodri’s historic Ballon d’Or win at the ceremony in Paris on Monday. Despite having eight nominees across all categories for Monday night’s event, the Spanish club chose not to attend, with players reportedly boycotting the ceremony in Paris after feeling that their star striker Vinicius, widely favored by bookmakers, had been unfairly overlooked for the men’s award.
Vinicius had been the strong frontrunner for the coveted trophy, following his pivotal role in Real Madrid’s La Liga and Champions League triumphs. However, upon learning that Rodri would ultimately take the Ballon d’Or, the club reportedly decided to skip the event in protest.
“If the award criteria don’t give it to Vinicius as the winner, then those same criteria should point to Carvajal as the winner,” Real Madrid told AFP.
“As this was not the case, it is clear that Ballon d’Or-UEFA does not respect Real Madrid. And Real Madrid does not go where it is not respected.”
Despite their absence, Real Madrid was recognized as the men’s team of the year, with Carlo Ancelotti also being awarded coach of the year.
Mohd Faisal Hakak is a sports author from Kashmir. He likes to keep tabs on the sporting world with a keen interest in football, motorsports, NBA, and other marquee sports. He is a science graduate from Islamia College Srinagar.
