Next month, football fans will find out who the next winner of the Ballon d’Or is, with Manchester City midfielder Rodri in the frame.
Rodri has been outstanding for City for a few years now, helping the club to win a plethora of trophies.
Rodri has also been instrumental in helping Spain to become a top nation once again, recently winning Player of the Tournament at Euro 2024 and helping his side to win.
The 28-year-old will not be playing football for the foreseeable future after he sustained a knee ligament injury, much to the devastation of fans.
Some are hoping this will not damage his chances of winning the Ballon d’Or, although one publication is already suggesting Vinicius Jr is set to win the award.
One man who feels Rodri would be a deserving winner is German legend Lothar Matthaus.
Man City star Rodri the ‘most outstanding’ player of the year
City fans are really hoping to see Rodri’s brilliance acknowledged next month when the 2024 Ballon d’Or is awarded.
Many remember back to last year when Erling Haaland was pipped by Lionel Messi, a decision that many questioned.
Vinicius Jr also had a fantastic year with Real Madrid, helping his side to win La Liga and the Champions League. But for Matthaus, the Brazilian would actually not even be in the top two.
The former Bayern Munich man is backing Rodri to win the award, with Jude Bellingham to come second.
He is quoted by Mundo Deportivo as saying: “For me, Rodri deserves the Ballon d’Or more than Vinicius. He was the thinker and leader of the Spain champion of the European Championship and also won the Premier League with Manchester City.
“He is the most outstanding player of the year. “Like Vinicius, (Bellingham) won the Champions League and La Liga and was also one of the most outstanding players of the European Championship.
“Thanks to his goals, England reached the final and were runners-up. My podium is Rodri, Bellingham and Vinicius.”
Why Rodri may fall short in Ballon d’Or race
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You’ll be hard-pressed to find a City fan who doesn’t think Rodri deserves the Ballon d’Or.
Quite simply, he has been immense for Pep Guardiola’s side and is so integral to the whole system. He hardly ever has a bad game, and last year he made big contributions in the final third, as well as performing his usual defensive duties to a high standard.
It is very possible that £63 million man Rodri could come up agonisingly short though. Purely because of the position he plays.
Generally speaking in football, there tends to be more buzz about attacking players and players that express flair on the pitch.
Vinicius Jr stands a great chance of winning because of this, as well as obviously having a great year.
But a defensive player has not won the award since Fabio Cannavaro all the way back in 2006, which perhaps says a lot.
