Rodri wins Ballon d’Or, becomes first Manchester City player to win award
Mr. Undefeated Claims Football's Biggest Individual Prize
After an impressive 2024, Rodri has won the prestigious Ballon d’Or ahead of Real Madrid duo Vinícius Júnior and Jude Bellingham. The award takes into consideration individual performances, influence on your teams and both club and national team achievements.
In 2024 Rodri won the Premier League with Manchester City for a record fourth consecutive season whilst also being the player of the tournament for the Euro’s where he helped lead Spain to the title. Two big trophies won and, in both teams, he was an integral part of the team. Rodri helps to dictate the tempo of the game; is a deep-lying-playmaker; arrives on the edge of the box to score goals and helps to break up play. As a defensive midfielder he’s so complete.
Throughout the year, Rodri only lost 1 game. His sole loss came in an FA Cup final 2-1 defeat to local rivals Manchester United. In the 2023/24 Premier League season, Rodri didn’t lose a single game. The 3 losses Man City had been all when Rodri was unavailable, further showing his importance in the team. Rodri even helped execute a perfect Euro’s win for Spain where they won all seven of their games. His last loss in the Premier League came in against Tottenham back in February 5th 2023 and this record has continued into this season too.
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Despite being a defensive midfielder, Rodri has been a big game player for Man City and helped provide many match winning moments. In 50 games last season, he scored 9 goals and got 14 assists. The most notable goal was on the final day where Man City just needed a win against West Ham and they’d be crowned Premier League champions. After a double from Premier League player of the season Phil Foden, Kudus made the score 2-1 and West Ham were pushing for an equaliser. Up stepped Rodri to side-foot a finish into the net from the edge of the box, a finish which has become a trademark Rodri finish.
This Ballon d’Or win for Rodri makes him the first player to win the trophy since Cristiano Ronaldo got his first back in 2008. He’s also the first central midfielder to win the award since Zinedine Zidane won it in 1998. Even more impressively, Rodri is the first Spaniard to win the award since Barcelona’s Luis Suárez (no, not that one) back in 1960.
Unfortunately for Rodri and Man City, against Arsenal earlier this season Rodri suffered an ACL injury so he’ll miss the majority of this season. But 2024 will be a year he’ll never forget for his exploits for Man City, Spain and his historical Ballon d’Or win.
Rodri stats 2023/24
In the 2023/24 season, Rodri was a standout player, showcasing remarkable consistency and dominance on the field. Across a staggering 63 matches for both club and country, Rodri tasted defeat only once—the FA Cup final against Manchester United. His contributions were pivotal in Manchester City’s impressive campaigns domestically and in Europe, with Rodri’s defensive prowess and playmaking abilities helping his team control games and secure crucial wins.
As a central figure for both Manchester City and the Spanish national team, Rodri’s almost flawless season reflects his reliability and skill, underscoring his status as one of the most influential midfielders in the game. His remarkable record of just one loss over such a high volume of matches is a testament to his consistency, tactical intelligence, and physical endurance, which kept him performing at peak levels throughout the demanding season.
| Competition | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Win Percentage | Goals Scored | Assists |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Premier League | 34 | 27 | 7 | 0 | 79.4% | 8 | 9 |
| UEFA Champions League | 8 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 75% | 1 | 2 |
| UEFA Super Cup | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 0 | 1 |
| FIFA Club World Cup | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100% | 0 | 0 |
| Community Shield | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 |
| FA Cup | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 75% | 0 | 1 |
| Carabao Cup | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| European Qualifiers | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 100% | 0 | 1 |
| International Friendlies | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 50% | 2 | 0 |
| Euro 2024 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 100% | 1 | 0 |
| Total | 63 | 50 | 12 | 1 | 79.36% | 12 | 14 |
