Rodri winning the Ballon d’Or is a win for football.

The prize has come to Manchester City for the first time in its history and, by rightly being issued to Rodri, the award itself has been saved.

This was not just a win for the Spain international but a win for the entire sport, as the prize that has been dominated by Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi for many years falls in the hands of the best and most complete footballer on the planet.

There was talk of Vinicius Jr and of Jude Bellingham, but the Ballon d’Or has been won by a player who has proven his credentials over the past five years for both club and country, winning everything there is to be won and proving to be so crucial to Pep Guardiola’s operation.

A fourth consecutive Premier League title followed success at the Fifa Club World Cup, before Rodri went on to act as a powerhouse in the middle of the park for Spain at Euro 2024. Germany, France and England were beaten on their way to winning the tournament and Rodri was recognised as he claimed the player of the tournament prize from Uefa.

The Ballon d’Or was in danger of becoming a glorified popularity contest, as opposed to recognising true football brilliance and performances on the field. With Rodri winning the prize, we can once again talk of this trophy as a salute towards the very best football star in the world.

We are talking about true football excellence and intelligence from Rodri here, while forgetting the human side of a man that is far from the normal modern day professional footballer. This is a success for a global superstar with no social media, no manufactured PR campaign behind him and merely a recognition of an athlete who has mastered his craft by committing his life to the sport he loves.

This is on-field performance combined with exemplary behaviour on and off the pitch, establishing himself as the complete football role model by reinventing the perceptions of a midfield orchestrator.

They are the Rules of Allocation for the Ballon d’Or. This is a win for football. This is justice for the Ballon d’Or itself. A football prize saved by Rodri – the ultimate professional, the ultimate midfielder and history-maker for Manchester City, Spain, and the midfield professional in the game.

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