Rodri dreams of becoming Spain's first Ballon d'Or winner in 64 years

After an incredible season for Manchester City and Spain, Rodri is deemed one of the favourites to take home the Ballon d'Or by many. The defensive midfielder played a primal role in City extending their Premier League title-winning-streak to four, and in Spain's EURO 2024 triumph two months later, where he was named Player of the Tournament. 

The ceremony will take place on the 28th of October at the Theatre du Chatelet, and should Rodri win it, he will become Spain's first Ballon d'Or winner since Luis Suarez in 1960. When revealed with the following statistic, the 28-year-old said that it would be an honour to end the 64-year wait for his country.

"Yes, of course it would be a dream for me," Rodri said, speaking to ESPN. "There are a lot of people who say if Rodri is going to win it, how, for example, did [Andrés] Iniesta or Xavi not win it?  In part, I agree. They were players who marked an era, some of the best in history, but it is also true that, at the of the end day, they were part of a generation that included [Lionel] Messi and Cristiano [Ronaldo]. But it would be a source of pride for me and for my country to win it".

"Having a Spanish representative who is capable of winning the Ballon d'Or enriches everyone," he explained. "We all know in Spain, because we just have one winner, that the last one was Luis Suarez many years ago. I didn't watch him of course and don't know much about him, but it's a shock that maybe one of the best countries in history in terms of football doesn't have more players that have won it. But football is like this. There have been great players over the years, but I think Spain deserves one because we have some great players that make history with the clubs, history with the countries."

Even though the Ballon d'Or remains the target, Rodri admitted that people believing in his chances to succeed already makes him feel like a winner whether he wins the award or not, as he said: "But imagine for me, to be in the conversation that the people when I walk into the street, they say to me, you going to win the Ballon d'Or, you deserve it. And for me, that means I am already a winner with this. The people that believe that I can be the best player in the world and telling me these kind of things, for me is incredible. I never dream about this," adding that: "once you are in this situation, this position, because a lot of years of work, a lot of trust on yourself and the help of all the people, you think about this award and being there is just unbelievable."

 

September 12, 2024