Man City's Rodri wins 2024 Ballon d'Or

Rodri has won the prestigious Ballon d'Or at an award ceremony in Paris on Monday, following his heroics for Manchester City and Spain last season. 

The midfielder is the first Premier League player to win the prize since Cristiano Ronaldo with Manchester United in 2008 and the third overall, following Michael Owen for Liverpool back in 2001. 

'Hard work is what matters'

After collecting his award, Rodri revealed how his father helped him to believe that he would achieve his dream of playing at the highest level.

"I'd like to tell you an anecdote the story that led me here. When I was 17-year-old I packed up my suitcases and I went to Villarreal with a dream to work in the Premier League, and one day I called my father crying telling him it was all over and that I had invested my life to get here and I had the feeling that, this was it.

"My father said we had come all the way here, let's keep going and this is something that changed my mindset and now, here I am. I am a normal boy who never gets carried away with stereotypes. Hard work is what matters."

Rodri, who has been ruled out for the season with a knee injury added: "I am just trying to take care of myself. Rest, enjoy the free time with my family and come back stronger."

The 28-year-old was nominated after an incredible 12 months in which he won UEFA EURO 2024, the Premier League, the FIFA Club World Cup, and the UEFA Super Cup. 

Rodri was named player of the tournament at EURO 2024, and was key to City claiming an unprecedented fourth Premier League title in a row. 

He was voted No 1 by 100 football journalists ahead of Vinicius Junior and Jude Bellingham of Real Madrid. 

1. Rodri (Man City)
2. Vinicius Jr (Real Madrid)
3. Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid) 
4. Dani Carvajal (Real Madrid)
5. Erling Haaland (Man City)
6. Kylian Mbappe (PSG/Real Madrid)
7. Lautaro Martinez (Inter)
8. Lamine Yamal (Barcelona)
9. Toni Kroos (Real Madrid)
10. Harry Kane (Bayern Munich)
11. Phil Foden (Man City)
12. Florian Wirtz (Bayer Leverkusen)
13. Dani Olmo (RB Leipzig / FC Barcelona)
14. Ademola Lookman (Atalanta)
15. Nico Williams (Athletic Bilbao ) 
16. Granit Xhaka (Bayer Leverkusen)
17. Federico Valverde (Real Madrid)
18. Emiliano Martinez (Aston Villa) 
19. Martin Odegaard (Arsenal)
20. Hakan Calhanoglu (Inter)
21. Bukayo Saka (Arsenal)
22. Antonio Rudiger (Real Madrid)
23. Ruben Dias (Man City)
24. William Saliba (Arsenal) 
25. Cole Palmer (Man City/Chelsea)
26. Declan Rice (Arsenal)
27. Vitinha (PSG)
28. Alejandro Grimaldo (Bayer Leverkusen)
29=. Mats Hummels (Borussia Dortmund); Artem Dovbyk (SK Dnipro-1/Girona/AS Roma)

The judges are asked to consider three areas: Individual performance, decisiveness and impressiveness, their collective performance and track record as well as fair play. 

Rodri was one of 10 Premier League players out of 30 in total who were nominated for the award. The others from the Premier League were Declan Rice (26th place), Cole Palmer (25), William Saliba (24), Ruben Dias (23), Bukayo Saka (21), Martin Odegaard (19), Emiliano Martinez (18), Phil Foden (11) and Erling Haaland (fifth).

Martinez wins Yashin Trophy again

Elsewhere at the event, Aston Villa goalkeeper Martinez claimed the Yashin Trophy for the second year running, making him the first ‘keeper to ever win consecutive awards, given to the best goalkeeper and named after legendary Russian ‘keeper Lev Yashin.

The 32-year-old was nominated after he enjoyed an excellent year, firstly helping Villa qualify for the UEFA Champions League, before winning the Copa America 2024, in the United States, with Argentina.

He is the second Premier League goalkeeper to win the prize after Liverpool’s Alisson claimed the inaugural award in 2019.

Ballon d'Or 2024 winners

The Ballon d'Or - Rodri
The Ballon d'Or Feminin - Aitana Bonmati
The Yashin Trophy - Emiliano Martinez
The Kopa Trophy - Lamine Yamal
The Gerd Muller Trophy - Kylian Mbappe
The Socrates Award - Jenni Hermoso
Men's Club of the Year - Real Madrid
Women's Club of the Year - FC Barcelona Femeni
Men's Coach of the Year - Carlo Ancelotti
Women's Coach of the Year - Emma Hayes