Manchester Metropolis’s Rodri successful the Ballon d’Or on Monday marked the primary event a Spaniard received the celebrated award since 1960. His membership supervisor Pep Guardiola believes whereas different Spanish gamers did come shut, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have been prime causes behind them not successful the award.
“Within the final decade, Spanish soccer has made such a distinction – they’ve received a World Cup, a Euros – and Spain have been by no means capable of win this award earlier than,” stated Guardiola, who termed Rodri’s win as a becoming tribute to the significance of Spanish gamers in twenty first century soccer.
The previous Barcelona supervisor added, “I keep in mind as soon as we nominated three gamers from La Masia. Xavi and Iniesta couldn’t win it as a result of Messi’s a monster and no one may beat him – simply Cristiano [Ronaldo]. He’s a monster and the daddy of the monster is Messi.”
2024 Ballon d’Or awards marked the primary occasion of neither Messi nor Ronaldo being named within the last 30-men shortlist for the award. Whereas Messi has received the distinction greater than some other participant within the sport’s historical past – eight – Ronaldo is second within the all-time tally with 5 wins.
Messi was the winner of the Ballon d’Or final 12 months, after a World Cup win alongside Argentina the earlier season in Qatar, the place he completed because the participant of the event.
Rodri pipped Actual Madrid’s Vinicius Jr to assert the very best particular person honor in world soccer – organized by France Soccer – after having performed a pivotal position in Manchester Metropolis’s English Premier League title win in addition to Spain’s European Championship triumph this summer season. Because the award’s inception in 1956, it marked the primary event of a Manchester Metropolis participant successful the award.
“All Manchester Metropolis, our followers, we’re so pleased with him. We may by no means have imagined this years in the past, that one [City] participant may obtain this prestigious award. We’re so delighted to share it with him and hopefully, it can provide him power to recuperate properly for subsequent season and be with us once more,” Guardiola stated.
