Rodri seems not to be focusing on all the noise surrounding him winning the Ballon d’Or and is instead basking in the glory of one of the greatest accomplishments of his career.
Vinicius was seemingly angered by Rodri’s Ballon d’Or triumph as he promised to work harder instead of congratulating the midfield maestro on his special night.
Eduardo Camavinga took a swipe at Rodri’s Ballon d’Or win by describing it as “football politics.”
However, Rodri reacted to winning the Ballon d’Or by stating that it was a “special day” for him.
Rodri won the Ballon d’Or and became the 11th midfielder in the history of the award to finish in first place — joining legendary figures like Michel Platini, Zinedine Zidane, Kaka and Luka Modric to name a few.
Fernandinho congratulated Rodri as he lifted the Ballon d’Or alongside his Spanish teammate Aymeric Laporte.
- READ MORE: Who is Rodri? Get to know Man City’s modest midfield maestro who won a Champions League final
Rodri caught signing ‘Rodri’s on fire’ chant after Ballon d’Or triumph
Meanwhile, Vinicius did not show up to the Ballon d’Or ceremony as Real Madrid decided to boycott the award show in Paris solely due to one of their poster-boys finishing in second place off the back of a year where he won La Liga and the Champions League.
However, Manchester City’s delegation on the night included players like Ruben Dias and Savinho alongside Txiki Begiristain amongst others.
A video shared by Manchester City on X showed Rodri celebrating winning the Ballon d’Or by signing his own iteration of the famous chant: “Rodri’s on fire, your defence is terrified!”
Spain’s players also sang the popular chant about Rodri after they won Euro 2024 this summer.
Manchester City’s players sang the chant about the Spaniard after he scored the winner for them in their 1-0 win against Inter Milan in the 2023 Champions League final to seal the club’s historic treble.
In April, Phil Foden stated Rodri is Manchester City’s “most important player” — which goes to show how much respect he commands in a dressing room featuring some of the biggest names in football.
Bernardo Silva also claimed Rodri is virtually flawless last month.
Txiki Begiristain reacts to ‘perfect professional’ Rodri’s Ballon d’Or win
Sporting director Txiki Begiristain, who was responsible for bringing Rodri to the Etihad Stadium was full of praise for the four-time Premier League winner after he won the Ballon d’Or.
Begiristain said via Manchester City’s official website: “Everyone at Manchester City will quite rightly feel very proud tonight.”
“Rodri is our first-ever winner of this award, and he totally deserves that honour. He is a player completely without ego, whose performance level over a very long period of time has been exceptional.”
The 60-year-old added: “The consistency he has shown is the result of hard work and dedication. He is a perfect professional, a person who approaches every single training session with the right attitude.”
“He wants to be the best and he is prepared to make the necessary sacrifices to make that a reality.”
Rodri will appreciate Txiki Begiristain’s appreciative sentiments and perhaps be working to return to full fitness and try to win another Ballon d’Or in the future.
For now, the treble-winner has earned celebrating his incredible individual victory as he enjoys an unforgettable moment with his loved ones as well as the Manchester City fraternity.
