Spain and Manchester City midfielder Rodri wins Ballon d’Or award

Hyderabad: Spain and Manchester City footballer Rodri won the prestigious Ballon d’Or award, awarded for the best footballer in the world. This is the first time Rodri is winning the Ballon d’Or.

The versatile midfielder beat Brazil and Real Madrid’s Vinicius Jr and England’s Jude Bellingham for the top prize.

Rodri was awarded the Ballon d’Or after his performances for Manchester City that were instrumental in the club winning the Premier League title last season, for the fourth successive year.

Rodri was also named best player at this year’s European Championship (Euro 20240 after Spain won their record-extending fourth Euro title.

The Spaniard is the first defensive midfielder to win the Ballon d’Or after Lothar Matthaus won the award in 1990. He is also the third Spaniard to win the prestigious trophy after Alfredo Di Stefano (1957 and 1959) and Luis Suarez (1960).

Rodri said winning the Ballon d’Or is a victory for Spanish football. “Today is not a victory for me, it is for Spanish football, for so many players who have not won it and have deserved it, like (Andres) Iniesta, Xavi (Hernandez), Iker (Casillas), Sergio Busquets, so many others. It is for Spanish football and for the figure of the midfielder,” Rodri said after getting the award.

The award ceremony also saw Real Madrid boycotting the function as the club felt the award should have been won by Vinicus Jr or Dani Carvajal.

The French organisers repeatedly have issued statements that the identity of the winner of the Ballon D’or is always a closely-guarded secret. However, Real Madrid boycotted the event hours before the ceremony started after they perceived the award to Rodri as a snub to Vinicius Jr.

Meanwhile, Barcelona and Spain star Aitana Bonmati won her second successive women’s Ballon d’Or award. Bonmati led Barcelona to a historic continental quadruple of titles and also won the UEFA Nations League with Spain.