The City star also reserved immense praise for Barcelona's teenage prodigy Yamal, who finished second in the rankings a year after Rodri's win, finishing behind Paris Saint-Germain hero Ousmane Dembele.
Much more is expected of the youngster, though, and Rodri believes his Spain team-mate will go on to win the award eventually, saying: “Two Spanish players, one of the present and one of the future. He's already a star, but with the future he has ahead of him, it's impressive.
"One day he'll win the Ballon d'Or, he's a beast. He's a spectacular guy. I have a very good relationship with him. People don't know him that well. I would encourage people to get to know him. He's a fantastic guy.”
Dismissing claims that the youngster faces unfair media scrutiny, Rodri added: “No, I think players of his calibre, who have that ability and are unique, have that kind of impact, for better or for worse. You have to live with it.
"He's incredibly mature. In some ways, he has a somewhat distorted image. He's a fantastic kid. He has amazing values for his age. Very focused, very mature. Let's not forget he's 18, just like we all were. I'm happy because he's growing so much.”