Spain midfielder Rodri could now join an exclusive group of players to win the Ballon d'Or multiple times after captaining his country to 2026 World Cup glory.
The heartbeat of any team he plays for, whether it's Spain or Manchester City, the 30-year-old even managed to beat Lionel Messi to the Golden Ball award on world football's biggest stage. The Argentine icon was the strong favourite after registering 12 goal contributions at 39, which shows just how impressive Rodri was.
Now, the Man City metronome is one of the favourites to win the Ballon d'Or this year, adding to his 2024 success. There was a lot of controversy surrounding Rodri scooping the individual honour two years ago, and Messi believed there was a stronger contender.
Who Lionel Messi Backed For the 2024 Ballon d'Or
Spain's and Manchester City's Rodri with the Ballon d'Or
The news that Rodri had overtaken Brazilian winger Vinicius Junior as the lead contender to win the Golden Ball in October sparked outrage within Real Madrid. Los Blancos players and staff boycotted the France Football event as a result.
But Vini Jr wasn't the man Messi had backed to scoop the prestigious award. And a man who's won it a record-breaking eight times has a decent idea of what it takes.
EPL_Every Ballon d'Or Winner Ranked Related
Every Ballon d'Or Winner Ranked From 'GOAT' to 'Robbery' by AI
Four seasons did not deserve to win the Ballon d'Or according to Grok AI.
To the surprise of many, Messi backed one of his Argentina teammates, Lautaro Martinez, to be crowned the best player of 2024. Per GOAL, the greatest footballer of all time declared:
"He had a spectacular year, he scored in the final, he was the top scorer in the Copa America. He deserves the Ballon d'Or more than anyone else."
Martinez scored a 112th-minute winner against Colombia in the Copa America final as Argentina overcame losing Messi to injury just after the hour-mark. The Inter Milan striker earned the Golden Boot award in that competition with five goals.
He also netted 24 times as Inter won the Scudetto. So his name was firmly in the conversation in 2024, as shown by his eventual 7th-placed finish.
The Argentine forward was also confident he deserved to be among the world-class players in contention, as Martinez said: "Because I've worked hard, and I've also suffered a lot in previous years. It's the second time I've been in the final phase for the Ballon d'Or, and I think I have what it takes to be there."
Pep Guardiola Was Right About Rodri
Rodri and Pep Guardiola (Manchester City)Action Images via Reuters/Jason Cairnduff
Pep Guardiola and Rodri have achieved unbelievable success together at Manchester City. The Spaniard scored the winning goal in the club's first-ever Champions League triumph, which contributed towards a historic treble in the 2022/23 season.
The pair will go down in Premier League history among the best managers and midfielders, respectively. After all, they won four top-flight titles at the Etihad together.
The 25 Greatest Midfielders in Premier League History (Ranked) Related
30 Greatest Midfielders in Premier League History [Ranked]
Kevin De Bruyne, Steven Gerrard, and Patrick Vieira are all among the best midfielders in the league's history.
Guardiola left his post as Man City manager in the summer, but before he left, he heaped praise on the midfielder. Rodri had a long road to recovery after rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in September 2024. His journey back to the top has been long, but clearly worthwhile.
Speaking ahead of the World Cup, Guardiola let everyone know that Rodri would be back to his best on the biggest international stage, and he was absolutely right. The Catalan-born coach said:
"I said to him and maybe he struggled to understand. It's not about six months, seven months, eight months, then 'I'll play and be the Rodri I was before'.
"No, Rodri will be good in the World Cup. In the World Cup he will be the best Rodri."