Manchester City midfielder Rodri has won this year’s Ballon d’Or, defeating Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham, Vinicius Junior, and Dani Carvajal.
The Spanish international becomes only the second Premier League player to win the prized trophy in 16 years, following Cristiano Ronaldo in 2008.
It was a trophy-laden season for Rodri, lifting the Premier League, the UEFA Super Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup with City, as well as Euro 2024 with Spain.
Since Luka Modric won the award in 2018, Rodri is the first midfielder to win it. Lionel Messi has won three of the prizes since then, with Karim Benzema winning one.
The award did not hold in 2020 because of COVID-19, denying Robert Lewandowski the chance to win the trophy.
