Manchester City are getting used to seeing their players get nominated for the Ballon d’Or.
After their Treble winning season, City saw eight players finish in the top 30 for the 2023 rankings.
Having now won a fourth consecutive Premier League title and see more players from their squad (14) take part in the 2024 European Championship than any other top-flight side, a handful of City players have found themselves nominated for the latest Ballon d’Or.
In fact, one of those players has found himself being mentioned by a pundit in terms of being a potential winner of the award.
- READ MORE: Who is Rodri? Get to know Man City’s modest midfield maestro who won a Champions League final
Gabby Agbonlahor says Rodri should win the Ballon d’Or over Vinicius Junior
Following Rodri’s inclusion in the nominees for the 2024 Ballon d’Or alongside the likes of Real Madrid winger Vinicius Junior, Gabby Agbonlahor had this to say in a recent video uploaded to the talkSPORT YouTube channel about who he thinks should win this year’s award.
He said: “This season, I look at Rodri, I think he’s been fantastic. Winning the Euros as well caps that off for him.
“We even say [Dani] Carvajal for Real Madrid, right-back, won the Champions League, won the league and won the Euros.
“But do they like to give it to the exciting player Vinicius Junior? Who’s an outstanding talent, had a great season.
“I think it’s Rodri or Vinicius. I really think that if you’re being honest and you’re judging it off what they’ve done I would say Rodri, would be my pick before Vinicius Junior.”
Rodri has done it for club and country
Following the Spaniard’s nomination, Rodri’s former City teammate Sergio Aguero shared a message on social media saying that the 28-year-old deserves to win the award.
Looking back over the previous season, Rodri appeared in 50 games for City across all competitions, scoring nine goals and delivering 14 assists along the way.
Having then gone on to start six of Spain’s seven matches in the 2024 European Championship, it’s undeniable that the midfielder is absolutely crucial for club and country.
Even though Vinicius won La Liga and the Champions League with Real last season, the fact that Agbonlahor thinks Rodri should win the Ballon d’Or this year.
