Manchester City midfielder Rodri read the same reports as everyone ahead of this year’s Ballon d’Or – that Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior seemed to be the overwhelming favourite to win the award.
Vinicius topped the odds lists ahead of the ceremony – when it comes to the Ballon d’Or, they’re very rarely wrong.
Even when Rodri stroked the winner in the Champions League final and bagged the Treble in 2023, he only came fifth, with holding midfielders rarely considered for the award, no matter how talented.
Rodri's year of glory
In an exclusive interview with FourFourTwo magazine, Rodri explained that he feared the moment had passed when he didn’t come close to bagging the award a year ago.
“After the season before, appearing in important moments, I thought that was the year to maybe challenge for it,” he said.
“I never expected to repeat it again, as it’s a matter of many things – appearing in huge moments, winning collectively, performing well all season. Then 2023-24 came and it was another unbelievable year for me.
“I realised that perhaps I had some chance, but because of everything in the media, it was so clear that the other guy was winning and I didn’t expect much. Inside of me though, I thought, ‘Well, it’s a vote of 100 journalists, let’s wait’.”
Having won both the Premier League and the Euros, Rodri did in fact bag the award, becoming the first holding midfielder to win the gong since Lothar Matthaus in 1990.
As is always the case with such high-profile awards, a global debate raged over whether he deserved it.
Football was the winner
“A few players deserved it, but what made the difference in my case was maybe the consistency, and always being there from August to July,” he told FFT.
“They valued my importance to my national team and my club, and also the major trophies I won.
“We can all agree it’s so difficult as a holding midfielder, or a full-back or centre back – imagine as a keeper…
“My friends texted me and said football won. They gave value to other ways of understanding football – as a collective, as a midfielder, as the manager on the pitch.
“It’s an honour not just for me, but for all the midfielders in history.”
You can read the full interview with Rodri about his Ballon d’Or triumph in the special awards issue of FourFourTwo magazine, on sale Thursday.
