Rodri winning the 2024 Ballon d'Or might have come as a surprise, but the midfielder has the stats and trophy cabinet to back up his victory.
Rodri and Real Madrid's Vinícius Júnior were the two favorites to take home soccer's most prestigious individual award, and the voters ultimately went with the Manchester City man. It is no secret that Rodri is the best defensive midfielder in the world and he proved just how integral he is for both club and country in 2023–24.
The Spaniard won three trophies with the Citizens, including a fourth consecutive Premier League title, the UEFA Super Cup and Club World Cup. He then went on to win Euro 2024 with Spain.
Even more impressive than Rodri's silverware, though, were his statistics throughout last year. He made 63 appearances for both club and country, bagging 12 goals and 15 assists along the way. In total, he created 114 chances for his teammates on both City and Spain.
Rodri's defensive efforts are harder to measure, yet when he was on the pitch for City last season, the team held its opposition to an average of 0.9 goals per game. Without Rodri, the average jumped up to 1.3 goals per game.
Such numbers would be common for the best defenders in the world, but Rodri was also pitching in on the attack; City scored an average of 2.7 goals per game as opposed to just 1.4 when it was without the Spaniard.
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In the 2023–24 Premier League season, City did not lose a single game in which Rodri played. The club went 27-7-0 with the 28-year-old in the middle of the park and 1-0-3 without. Spain also executed a perfect Euro 2024 campaign, collecting victories in all seven of its matches.
Even before Euro 2024, though, Rodri was already on a historic run. From Mar. 2023 to May 2024, he went 74 games unbeaten for club and country. The streak was finally broken when Manchester United defeated Pep Guardiola's side in the 2024 FA Cup final.
When looking at the numbers, it is no surprise that Rodri took home four trophies last season. His haul beat out Vinícius Jr.'s total with Real Madrid; the winger helped the club win the Champions League, La Liga and the Spanish Super Cup, but he did not take home any silverware with Brazil at Copa América 2024.
Rodri's 2024 Ballon d'Or win might be debated in the following weeks, but his stats and impact on the pitch are undeniable.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Rodri Stats for 2024 Ballon d'Or: Why the Man City Midfielder Won.
