NEW DELHI: Spain and Manchester Metropolis midfielder Rodri was awarded the distinguished Ballon d’Or on Monday, recognizing him because the world’s greatest participant. He triumphed over Actual Madrid’s Brazilian star Vinicius Jr and English prodigy Jude Bellingham to safe the coveted prize.
Rodri’s distinctive performances have been essential in Manchester Metropolis’s historic achievement of successful the Premier League title for an unprecedented fourth consecutive season. Moreover, he was named the perfect participant on the European Championship this yr, the place Spain clinched their record-extending fourth title.
At 28 years outdated, the Madrid-born participant turns into the primary defensive midfielder to obtain the Ballon d’Or since Lothar Matthaus in 1990. He’s additionally solely the third Spaniard to win the award, following within the footsteps of Alfredo Di Stefano (1957 and 1959) and Luis Suarez (1960).
Regardless of the dominance of Spanish league gamers within the Ballon d’Or’s historical past, no Spaniard had claimed the prize since Barcelona legend Luis Suarez greater than six a long time in the past.
It is a exceptional feat, contemplating Spain’s “golden technology” that received the World Cup in 2010 and the European Championships in 2008 and 2012.
“In the present day will not be a victory for me, it’s for Spanish soccer, for thus many gamers who haven’t received it and have deserved it, like (Andres) Iniesta, Xavi (Hernandez), Iker (Casillas), Sergio Busquets, so many others. It’s for Spanish soccer and for the determine of the midfielder,” Rodri stated on stage on the ceremony.
“In the present day many associates have written to me and have advised me that soccer has received, for giving visibility to so many midfielders who’ve a job within the shadows and as we speak it’s coming to mild.
“I am an everyday man with values, who research, who tries to do issues proper and would not attempt to comply with the stereotypes and even so I’ve been in a position to get to the highest, and it’s because of all of you.”
Listing of Ballon d’Or winners for the reason that award’s inception in 1956 after Rodri was named 2024 winner on Monday.
1956 – Stanley Matthews (England)
1957 – Alfredo Di Stefano (Spain)
1958 – Raymond Kopa (France)
1959 – Alfredo Di Stefano (Spain)
1960 – Luis Suarez (Spain)
1961 – Omar Sivori (Italy)
1962 – Josef Masopust (Czechoslovakia)
1963 – Lev Yashin (Soviet Union)
1964 – Denis Legislation (Scotland)
1965 – Eusebio (Portugal)
1966 – Bobby Charlton (England)
1967 – Florian Albert (Hungary)
1968 – George Finest (Northern Eire)
1969 – Gianni Rivera (Italy)
1970 – Gerd Mueller (West Germany)
1971 – Johan Cruyff (Netherlands)
1972 – Johan Cruyff (Netherlands)
1973 – Johan Cruyff (Netherlands)
1974 – Johan Cruyff (Netherlands)
1975 – Oleg Blokhin (Soviet Union)
1976 – Franz Beckenbauer (West Germany)
1977 – Allan Simonsen (Denmark)
1978 – Kevin Keegan (England)
1979 – Kevin Keegan (England)
1980 – Karl-Heinz Rummenigge (West Germany)
1981 – Karl-Heinz Rummenigge (West Germany)
1982 – Paolo Rossi (Italy)
1983 – Michel Platini (France)
1984 – Michel Platini (France)
1985 – Michel Platini (France)
1986 – Igor Belanov (Soviet Union)
1987 – Ruud Gullit (Netherlands)
1988 – Marco van Basten (Netherlands)
1989 – Marco van Basten (Netherlands)
1990 – Lothar Matthaus (Germany)
1991 – Jean-Pierre Papin (France)
1992 – Marco van Basten (Netherlands)
1993 – Roberto Baggio (Italy)
1994 – Hristo Stoichkov (Bulgaria)
1995 – George Weah (Liberia)
1996 – Matthias Sammer (Germany)
1997 – Ronaldo (Brazil)
1998 – Zinedine Zidane (France)
1999 – Rivaldo (Brazil)
2000 – Luis Figo (Portugal)
2001 – Michael Owen (England)
2002 – Ronaldo (Brazil)
2003 – Pavel Nedved (Czech Republic)
2004 – Andriy Shevchenko (Ukraine)
2005 – Ronaldinho (Brazil)
2006 – Fabio Cannavaro (Italy)
2007 – Kaka (Brazil)
2008 – Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal)
2009 – Lionel Messi (Argentina)
2010 – Lionel Messi (Argentina) *
2011 – Lionel Messi (Argentina) *
2012 – Lionel Messi (Argentina) *
2013 – Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal) *
2014 – Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal) *
2015 – Lionel Messi (Argentina) *
2016 – Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal)
2017 – Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal)
2018 – Luka Modric (Croatia)
2019 – Lionel Messi (Argentina)
2020 – Award Cancelled (COVID-19 pandemic)
2021 – Lionel Messi (Argentina)
2022 – Karim Benzema (France)
2023 – Lionel Messi (Argentina)
2024 – Rodri (Spain)
* From 2010-2015 the Ballon d’Or was merged with the FIFA World Participant of the Yr to create the FIFA Ballon d’Or award.
