Throughout the nearly 70-year history of the Ballon d'Or, only one goalkeeper and three defenders have won this prestigious title. However, there has never been a defensive midfielder named in the top position. Now, Rodri could become another historic milestone.
The Ballon d'Or has been considered the "private asset" of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo for the past 15 years, but now is the time for the new generation of players. Rodri is currently considered the second most promising candidate, after Vinicius Junior, for the most prestigious individual award in the world of football (according to Goal).
In the past, the Ballon d'Or title was often awarded to strikers and players with a handsome playing style. A defensive midfielder's job is often to set the foundation for his teammates to shine. However, Rodri has risen to the level of being the center of attention.
A few years ago, when many people were still arguing about the successors of Messi and Ronaldo, few people thought that a player recruited to be a launching pad for Pep Guardiola's brighter stars could be on the nomination list. Since Rodri scored the decisive goal in the 2022-23 Champions League final, the Spaniard has been mentioned more in the individual title race.
The 1998 star was voted "Best Player" of the final and the 2022-2023 Champions League. After that, Rodri also received the MVP at the 2023 Nations League. A year later, he continued to receive the same title at EURO 2024 after helping Spain win the championship. In between those tournaments, he also won the Golden Ball at the FIFA Club World Cup.
I am very happy with what has happened in the past few years, winning with the club and the national team is a dream. This is just the result of hard work and perseverance, never giving up. Individual awards are just the result of those efforts, Rodri shared.
This statement reflects Rodri's style. While many other players struggle to find individual titles, Rodri has started to collect them easily. The Man City midfielder has become an icon of modern football, a person honored not only by his teammates but also by fans. The Ballon d'Or is one of the few titles that Rodri lacks in his collection.
People seem to be starting to recognize my talent and are backing me to win the Ballon dOr. It will be a dream because I never thought I could touch it. However, now that I am here, I just want people to judge and vote. After that, no matter what the result is, it's okay" - the Spanish star added.
Spain won the European Cup twice in a row and won the 2010 World Cup, but stars like Xavi and Andres Iniesta only stopped at 3rd and 2nd place in the Ballon d'Or race. The last Spaniard to win the award was Luis Suarez in 1960. Therefore, some of Rodri's support comes from his homeland.
For Man City, players have long been overlooked for individual awards. However, this is gradually changing as 4/5 of PFA's "Best Player of the Year" awards have gone to the Etihad Stadium team. Kevin De Bruyne is the first Man City player to reach the top 3 of the Ballon d'Or in 2022 and Erling Haaland is second last year while Rodri is fifth.
Rodri's support also comes from the silent heroes in football, who are not always praised but are the soul of the team. The EURO 2024 champion has not only won 4 consecutive Premier League titles, he has only lost 1 match in nearly 18 months. Although he does not score often, Rodri often plays a hero when scoring important goals.
Now, the number of people who value Rodri continues to increase. The Spanish midfielder has been a stable presence, capable of creating decisive passes and has played in big matches. If many votes are given to him, Rodri can make history by becoming the first defensive midfielder to win the Ballon d'Or.
