Rodri of Spain wins the Ballon d’Or as the world’s best player

Rodriguez, a midfielder for Spain and Manchester City, won the Ballon d’Or award on Monday, beating out Vinicius Jr. of Brazil and Jude Bellingham of England, both of Real Madrid.

For the second time, Aitana Bonmati, a player for Barcelona and Spain, won the women’s award.

Rodri won the award for the first time, and he was a big reason why his team won an unprecedented fourth straight Premier League title last season. Also, after Spain won a record-setting fourth European Championship, he was named the tournament’s best player.

Since Lothar Matthaus won the Ballon d’Or in 1990, this 28-year-old from Madrid is the first defensive midfielder to win the award. He is also the third Spaniard to win the award, following Alfredo Di Stefano (1957 and 1959) and Luis Suarez (1960).

Even though Spain’s “golden generation” won the 2010 World Cup, the 2008 and 2012 Euros, and many other titles, no Spanish player had won the award since Luis Suarez of Barcelona more than 60 years ago.

Pep Guardiola, City’s coach, called Rodri “the best midfielder in the world.” He finally stopped that run with a set of skills that has made his team the best in England and helped Spain take back control of Europe.

Iker Casillas, Sergio Busquets, Andres Iniesta, Xavi Hernandez, and many other players who have earned to win but haven’t, today is a victory for Spanish football, not for me. “It’s for Spanish football and the midfielder,” Rodri said at the event.

“Earlier today, many friends wrote to me to say that football had won because it brought to light the work of so many midfielders who have been doing it in the dark.

“I’m a regular guy with values, who studies, who tries to do things right and doesn’t try to follow the stereotypes and even so I have been able to get to the top, and it is thanks to all of you.”

Messi or Ronaldo

Since 2008, Rodri is the third guy besides Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo to win the award. Since 2003, this was the first time that neither Messi nor Ronaldo made it to the final 30 listing of nominees.

Ronaldo, from Portugal, has won the award five times and was the last Premier League player to do so in 2008. Yet, after going to Saudi Arabia last year, he did not get a mention. Even though Argentina won the Copa America, Messi, who won for a record eighth time in 2023, didn’t make the cut.

Within the last 18 months, Rodri has only lost one game: Manchester United beat City in the FA Cup final last season.

Lamine Yamal, Rodri’s partner on the national team, got the Kopa Trophy for the best Under-21 player by helping Spain win all seven games in the Euro 2024 tournament.

The second year in a row, Bonmati won the Ballon d’Or for women. Hermoso, a fellow Brazilian, got the Socrates Award for her bravery in fighting for women’s rights in football and against sexism in sports.

Real Madrid chose not to go to the event because they thought Vinicius would not win the men’s award.

There were no members of the club present when they won the award for men’s club of the year. Their boss, Carlo Ancelotti, was named men’s coach of the year, and Barcelona got the award for women’s best club. Last season, both teams won the European and Spanish league titles.