Rodri has been a key player in Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City for years, who won their fourth consecutive Premier League title last season. The midfielder was named MVP of Euro 2024 thanks to his contribution to Spain’s victory. Now his dream is to win a Ballon d’Or that an Iberian player hasn’t won since Luis Suárez (1960): “It would be a dream for me,” said Rodri.
“When people stop me in the street and tell me I should win the Ballon d’Or, I already feel like a winner. But many people wonder how I could win if players like Iniesta or Xavi didn’t manage to do it. I partly agree: they marked an era, they were some of the best players in history, but at that time Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo dominated. It would be a huge source of pride for me and for Spain but it’s already good as it is: having a Spaniard among the favourites to win the Ballon d’Or would be a great recognition for everyone. We’ve only had one Ballon d’Or winner, and that was Luis Suárez many years ago. I haven’t seen him play, but it’s surprising that a country with so much footballing history hasn’t produced more winners. Football is like that, there have been so many great players over the years and I think Spain deserves it.”
The midfielder did not hide his admiration for Vinícius Jr., his main rival for the award: “People say that I will fight with Vinícius, I admire him a lot. He is a great player and that makes me proud of all the work I have done. In the end it will depend on the votes, but there are many other players who deserve it. We will see what happens”.