Paris, 29 October (Hindustan Reporter). Spain and Manchester City midfielder Rodri won the Ballon d'Or award for the world's best player on Monday, beating Real Madrid and Brazil's Vinicius Junior and England's Jude Bellingham for the prestigious award.
Rodri, who won the award for the first time, played a key role in his team winning their fourth consecutive Premier League trophy last season. He was also named the best player at this year's European Championship after Spain won a record-fourth title. The 28-year-old Madrid native is the first defensive midfielder to win the Ballon d'Or since Lothar Matthäus in 1990 and the third Spanish player to win the award after Alfredo Di Stefano (1957 and 1959) and Luis Suarez (1960).
Although the award has been dominated by players from the Spanish league, no Spanish player has won it since Barcelona great Luis Suárez more than 60 years ago, while Spain's “Golden Generation” won the award at the 2010 World Cup. , won the 2008 and 2012 Euros.
But Rodri, the player whom City coach Pep Guardiola called “the best midfielder in the world,” ultimately ended that era with a unique skill that made his club the dominant force in England and Spain again. Helped rule Europe.
“Today's victory is not for me, it is for Spanish football, for the many players who have not won it and deserve it, like (Andres) Iniesta, Xavi (Hernandez),” Rodri said on stage at the ceremony. , Iker (Casillas), Sergio Busquets, and many more. It is for Spanish football and the personality of the midfielder that, today, many friends have written to me and told me that football has won, because it has given recognition to many midfielders who toil in anonymity, and today this Is coming forward. I'm a normal person with values, who studies, who tries to do things the right way and doesn't try to follow conventions, and yet, I've been able to reach the top, and that's for all of you. It is thanks to.”