On Monday, Spain and Manchester City midfielder Rodri was awarded the Ballon d’Or as the best player in the world after putting Brazil’s Vinicus JR and England’s Jude Bellingham both from the Real Madrid second place in the most coveted competition.
Rodri won the award for the first time and he was central in the conquest of a record fourth consecutive Premier League title by his team last season. He was also named Most Valuable Player in the Euro 2020 championship after Spain won that title for a record-extending 4th time.
The 28-year-old who hails from Madrid is the first defensive midfielder to possess the Ballon D’or since Lothar Matthaus in 1990 and becomes the third Spaniard to win this decoration after Alfredo Di Stefano (1957 and 1959) and Luis Suarez (1960).
But in spite of Spain being a part of the ‘golden generation’ that conquered the 2010 World cup and the Euros in 2008 and 2012, no Spanish player had lifted the award since Luis Suarez of Barcelona claimed it more than 60 years ago.
No wonder Rodri, the footballer City manager Pep Guardiola labels ‘the best midfielder in the world’, was the one to break this curse, armed with exceptional qualities that made City the strongest club in England and allowed Spain to re-establish its power in Europe.
“Today is not a personal triumph for me, it is for Spanish football, for so many players who’ve deserved to win it but haven’t gotten it, for (Andres) Iniesta, Xavi (Hernandez), Iker (Casillas), Sergio Busquets, so many others. This is for the Spanish football and the image of the midfielder,” said Rodri during the award ceremony.
“Today a lot of friends have written to me and have said that it is football who has won, for showing the face of so many midfielders who do work in the background and today its coming out.
“I am an average person with values, what studies, what tries to do things the right way and does not try to fit into stereotypes and still I have been able to reach the apex and that is thanks to all of you.”
No Messi or Ronaldo
Since 2008, Rodri is now the third person to be crowned the champion, not Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo. This was the first time, since 2003, when neither of the two players made it to the final 30-men list of the nominees.
Ronaldo of Portugal, also a former winner of the award five times and who was the last player from the Premier division league to win it back in 2008 could also not get a nomination last year after switching to a Saudi club. It was not the case for Messi who was gunning for the award for a record eighth time in 2023 but was unable to do so despite winning the Copa America with Argentina.
In terms of losses in the last eighteen months, the only match that Rodri has lost was during City’s FA cup final unexpected loss at the hands of Manchester United last season.
Rodri’s countryman Lamine Yamal earlier won the Kopa Trophy awarded for the best athlete under 21 years of age after helping Spain in qualifying for Euro 2024 by going through seven qualifying games.
Also, for the second time, Aitana Bonmati from Spain was awarded the woman’s award.
Once again, Bonmati won the women’s Ballon d’Or while in another event Jennifer Hermoso received the Socrates Award for her courage to fight sexism and advocate for women rights in the football industry.
In the hopes of not getting the award, Real Madrid had planned to avoid the ceremony where Vinicius would be awarded or not.
None of the club’s representatives attended the official celebrations for the award of the year for the best men’s club which was awarded to their manager Carlo Ancelotti court where Barca took the male best club trophy after winning the European and Spanish league together.