Manchester City midfielder Rodri has been awarded the Ballon d’Or after a stellar season in which he achieved success for both club and country.

Rodri received the award on Monday during a ceremony in Paris, organized by the French magazine France Football in collaboration with UEFA.

“A very special day, for me, my family and my country,” said Rodri.

“I understand that because I don’t have social media, people don’t know me much. I’m just a normal guy. I enjoy the sport, I enjoy my profession. And I try to be a good person. I’m a very calm human. person.”

The 28-year-old won his fourth consecutive Premier League with City in May as Pep Guardiola’s side held off the challenge of Arsenal and won their last nine games to clinch the title. He is the first player from the English top flight to be crowned since Cristiano Ronaldo won in 2008 during his first spell at Manchester United.

Rodri’s toughest competition for the Ballon d’Or came from Madrid’s Vinícius Júnior, who refused to travel to Paris for the ceremony after discovering he would not be taking home the trophy. Jude Bellingham finished third in the voting.

Vinicius, 24, was one of the leading contenders to win the 2024 men’s prize after leading Madrid to a LaLiga and Champions League double last season, but sources told ESPN earlier on Monday that neither he nor his fellow Madrid nominees – eight in total around the world. various awards – would attend the event.

Madrid had earlier been honored at the ceremony as Men’s Team of the Year, and Carlo Ancelotti received the Coach of the Year award, although no representatives of the latest Champions League winners were present to receive it.

Rodri was part of the Spain team that won Euro 2024, starting every match except the third group match against Albania, and claiming the player of the tournament award.

He achieved a world record 74 games unbeaten for club and country from March 2023 to May 2024, avoiding defeat (except on penalties) until City’s loss to Manchester United in the FA Cup final.

Rodri becomes the second male player born in Spain to win the sport’s most prestigious individual prize, and the first since former Barcelona star Luis Suárez claimed it in 1960.

Real Madrid’s legendary striker Alfredo di Stefano won the award twice, in 1957 and 1959, despite being born in Argentina. The past four Ballons d’Or Féminin have been won by Spanish women (Alexia Putellas in 2021 and 2022 and Aitana Bonmatí in 2023 and 2024).

Rodri is likely to miss the remainder of the 2024/25 season after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury during City’s 2-2 draw with Arsenal on September 22. He accepted the award on crutches on Monday.

That knee injury came just days after he said at a press conference that players could go on strike in response to the increasing number of matches on the football calendar.

“I’m just trying to take care of myself. Rest, enjoy the time off with my family and come back stronger,” Rodri said when asked about his recovery.

Earlier in Paris, Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal won the Kopa Trophy for the previous season’s best under-21 player, while Aitana Bonmatí claimed her second consecutive Ballon d’Or Féminin.

Harry Kane and Kylian Mbappé shared the Gerd Müller Trophy for most goals of the season, while Aston Villa and Argentina stopper Emiliano Martínez retained the world’s best goalkeeper award after his country’s Copa América title.