Manchester City and Spain midfielder Rodri has won the men’s Ballon d’Or – awarded to the best footballer of the year – for the first time. Rodri was handed the award at a ceremony in Paris on Monday, organised by the French magazine France Football in collaboration with UEFA.
Rodri – Best Footballer of the Year
The 28-year-old, who lost just one game last season for club and country, was awarded the prize in Paris after helping Spain win Euro 2024 in July. He also won the Premier League, UEFA Super Cup and Club World Cup with City.
Rodri’s stiffest competition for the Ballon d’Or came from Madrid’s Vinícius Júnior, who refused to travel to Paris for the ceremony after discovering that he would not take home the trophy. Jude Bellingham finished third in the voting.
Team of the Year
Real Madrid had been honoured earlier in the ceremony as the men’s team of the year, and Carlo Ancelotti received the coach of the year award, though no representatives of the last Champions League winners were present to accept it.
More winners
Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal won the Kopa Trophy for best under-21 player over the previous season, while Aitana Bonmatí claimed her second consecutive Ballon d’Or Féminin. Harry Kane and Kylian Mbappé shared the Gerd Müller trophy for most goals in the season, while Aston Villa and Argentina stopper Emiliano Martínez retained the prize for best goalkeeper in the world following his country’s Copa América title
The awards are based on voting by a panel of journalists from the top 100 FIFA-ranked countries.
Rodri was part of the Spain team that won Euro 2024, starting every game except the third group stage match against Albania, and claimed the player of the tournament prize.
He went a world-record 74 games unbeaten for club and country from March 2023 to May 2024, avoiding defeat (other than via penalties) until City’s loss to Manchester United in the FA Cup final.