Manchester City’s Rodri Hernandez made history on Monday night, clinching the 2024 Ballon d’Or title.
The Spanish midfielder surpassed Real Madrid stars Vinicius Junior and Jude Bellingham to secure the prestigious award.
Rodri’s exceptional play contributed to City’s 74-game unbeaten streak and their Premier League victory last season. His performances also proved vital for Spain, guiding them to a Euro 2024 championship win over England in the final. Rodri featured in six of Spain’s seven matches throughout the tournament.
In other awards, Real Madrid was recognized as Men’s Club of the Year, and Carlo Ancelotti received Best Male Manager of the Year. However, no representatives attended the ceremony, in solidarity with Vinicius, who declined to attend after learning he would not receive the best player award.
At the same ceremony, Argentina’s Emiliano Martinez won the 2024 Yachine Trophy, and Barcelona’s Aitana Bonmati was named the Best Female Player for the second consecutive year.
