Rodri’s Ballon d’Or Victory: A Deserved Outcome for Spanish Football, Says Guardiola

Pep Guardiola, manager of Manchester City, stated that Rodri was a deserving recipient of the 2024 Ballon d’Or award. The Spanish midfielder secured the accolade, surpassing Real Madrid’s Vinicius Jr and Jude Bellingham, who placed second and third in the voting, respectively. Rodri played a crucial role in Manchester City’s Premier League title win in May and was recognized as the player of the tournament when Spain triumphed in Euro 2024. Real Madrid did not attend the ceremony, reportedly after discovering that Vinicius, widely considered the frontrunner for the award, had not been victorious. Guardiola, a former manager of Barcelona, commented on Real Madrid’s absence, stating: “If they [Real Madrid] want to go, it’s fine. If they don’t, it’s fine as well.” He continued: “If they want to congratulate, it’s fine. If they don’t want to congratulate, it’s fine as well.” Guardiola added: “If you are in the first two or three [places] it’s exceptional. It means you have done an incredible year and you have to be so satisfied.” Regarding the voting, he remarked: “Should it be Vinicius? Maybe. It’s [voted by] journalists, you know, not an elite group of people who decide. It’s [journalists] all around the world that votes, not just one country. There are different opinions, and that’s what makes football nice, no?” Rodri marks several firsts: he is the first Spanish male player to win the Ballon d’Or this century, the first Manchester City player to claim the award, and the first Premier League-based player to do so since Cristiano Ronaldo in 2008. Over the last 16 years, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have collectively won the award 14 times. Spanish football icon Xavi secured third place behind Messi three times, and his former team-mate Andres Iniesta was the runner-up to the Argentine player in 2010. Guardiola further stated: “I think Rodri perfectly represents City, but also Spanish football and their influence in world football.” He elaborated on Spanish football’s impact: “In the last 10, 15 years it has been massively important – not just winning trophies but the way they play.” Guardiola concluded: “Maybe in that moment Xavi and Iniesta deserved it as well. I think maybe Rodri gets what Spanish football deserves.”