He is the first Manchester City player to win this award. Vinicius came second, while Jude Bellingham from Real Madrid took the third position.

Recently, Manchester City’s Rodri won the Euro 2024 title with Spain and the 2023-24 Premier League title with Manchester City. The latter season he was integral to City’s historic treble of the Premier League, Champions League, and FA Cup under Pep Guardiola.

Aitana Bonmatí of Barcelona, in the women’s category, retained the Ballon d’Or Féminin title, thus denying her teammate Caroline Graham Hansen the second consecutive title.

A great season it was for the 26-year-old, who achieved an unprecedented quadruple last season as Barça achieved that and added her fifth Liga F title, third Women’s Champions League title, sixth Copa de la Reina, and fourth Spanish Supercopa. This phase has been fantastic for her.

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo were not among the participants in the Ballon d’Or. The 2018 version is a tale of new faces. Rodri epitomizes the emergence of the new superstars who give more importance to the team’s victory over personal achievements.

Manchester City’s Rodri contribution goes beyond mere goal-scoring. He scored nine goals last season, among them a decisive goal that sealed Manchester City’s title in a match against West Ham. What has really made him shine, however, is the fact that he has controlled the midfield as a holding midfielder, which has proved crucial to his team.

Also Read | What is Resistance Training & How to Perform them | Know Its Various Benefits