At the Theatre due Chatelet in Paris, Rodri made history by beating Vinicius Jr to win the Ballon d’Or — who finished second.
Previously, Erling Haaland and Kevin De Bruyne had ranked the highest in the Ballon d’Or placements out of any Manchester City players by finishing second and third 2023 and 2022 respectively.
But Rodri has made history during his spell at the Etihad Stadium once again.
It was revealed on Monday that Vinicius Jr’s camp were “convinced” he would not win the Ballon d’Or as well.
Toni Kroos claimed “Rodri will win the Ballon d’Or” instead of his teammate Vinicius ahead of the official announcement.
Erling Haaland finished fifth, Phil Foden was named in 11th place while Ruben Dias was placed 23rd.
- READ MORE: Who is Rodri? Get to know Man City’s modest midfield maestro who won a Champions League final
Man City maestro Rodri wins Ballon d’Or ahead of Vinicius Jr
Journalist Fabrice Hawkins also revealed that Real Madrid’s delegation skipped the Ballon d’Or ceremony after discovering that the Brazilian did not win the accolade.
In September, Rodri named Vinicius as a “great player” and admitted it was a “dream” for him to win the award as a Spaniard.
However, the 28-year-old has managed to outdo not just Vinicius — emphasising just how outstanding he was for both Pep Guardiola’s men and Spain.
Rodri is now the first player since Cristiano Ronaldo in 2008 to win the Ballon d’Or while playing in the Premier League.
Ronaldo famously won the award at Manchester United — as the midfield maestro has joined the Portuguese legend as well as Michael Owen — who won the award during his time at Liverpool in 2001.
The midfield maestro’s triumph is not just a huge moment for him personally but also for the English top-flight as well as for those at the Etihad Stadium.
Where did Rodri rank in the Ballon d’Or before his historic win?
Rodri has only been nominated in and amongst the 30-man shortlist for the Ballon d’Or twice.
While the Spaniard was extremely influential at both Atletico Madrid and Villareal, he did not get a look-in.
Since joining Manchester City, however, the four-time Premier League winner has cemented his status amongst the best players in the world. Here is where Rodri has finished when being nominated for the Ballon d’Or before.
| RODRI’S CAREER BALLON D’OR RANKINGS | |
| YEAR | RANKING |
| 2023 | 5th |
| 2024 | 1st |
It seems like Rodri’s contributions for club and country have finally stunned the world as he has won the Ballon d’Or.
Recently, the newly-crowned Kopa Trophy winner Lamine Yamal named Rodri as his personal Ballon d’Or winner after Barcelona tore Real Madrid apart in their 4-0 victory at the Santiago Bernabeu.
The decorated technician’s standing amongst modern-day greats could well be established once and for all after his latest accomplishment.
Rodri will be delighted to have been recognised in such a manner.
However, the treble-winner’s triumph cannot be considered anything less than merited.
