Spain and Man City’s Rodri Wins First Ballon d’Or
Spanish football celebrated a triumphant night at Monday’s Ballon d’Or ceremony in Paris, which honours the sport’s top players in both the men’s and women’s categories.
Manchester City and Spain midfielder Rodri received his first Ballon d’Or, while Barcelona and Spain’s Aitana Bonmatí secured her second consecutive Ballon d’Or Féminin.
Spain’s influence extended across other award categories, with Barcelona’s rising star, Lamine Yamal, being honoured as the best player under 21.
Rodri who was named the overall Men’s Ballon d’Or winner has proven himself as one of the top defensive midfielders globally, playing a crucial role in Manchester City’s historic fourth consecutive Premier League title.
His influence carried into the international stage, where he was named Player of the Tournament in Euro 2024 as Spain claimed victory in Germany.
Rodri expanded his role beyond defense, demonstrating his attacking ability with 12 goals and 15 assists across all competitions, contributing significantly to his teams’ success.
The 28-year-old faced tough competition for the award, ultimately beating Real Madrid’s Vinicius Jr and Jude Bellingham, who took second and third places, respectively, after contributing to Real Madrid’s La Liga and Champions League victories.
Vinicius reacted to the news with a post on X, saying, “I’ll do it 10 times if I have to. They’re not ready.”
Meanwhile, Real Madrid’s manager Carlo Ancelotti earned the Johan Cruyff Trophy as Men’s Coach of the Year, while Emma Hayes, former Chelsea coach, received the Women’s Coach of the Year award for leading Team USA to Olympic gold.
Real Madrid was also awarded Men’s Club of the Year, but chose not to attend the ceremony.
In a statement shared by Spanish newspaper AS, the club expressed frustration over the voting criteria, particularly for the men’s Ballon d’Or, saying, “If the award criteria doesn’t give it to Vinicius as the winner, then those same criteria should point to (Dani) Carvajal as the winner. As this was not the case, it is clear that Ballon d’Or does not respect Real Madrid. Real Madrid does not go where it is not respected.”
The Gerd Muller Trophy, honouring top scorers, was jointly awarded to Kylian Mbappe and Harry Kane, who both finished last season with 52 goals.
However, only Kane was present to accept the award, as Mbappe joined the Real Madrid delegation in keeping away from the ceremony.