Rodri became the first Manchester City player to be honoured with the Ballon d’Or in a ceremony in Paris tonight.
The 28-year-old Spain international enjoyed a stunning 2023/24 season after helping City lift the Champions League for the first time at the end of the previous season.
He set a new record for the longest unbeaten streak in European football history [74 games], helped City to both a record fourth consecutive Premier League title and a first Club World Cup, while also guided his home nation to European Championship glory in Germany.
He was named Player of the Tournament in each of the latter competitions.
And he became honoured with the prestigious award which was voted for by jurors representing the top 100 ranked FIFA associations, Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior and Jude Bellingham completed the top three.
He is only the third Premier League player to win the Ballon d’Or after Michael Owen (Liverpool, 2001) and Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United, 2008).
Pep Guardiola was again nominated for the Men’s Coach of the Year after leading his side to another record-breaking campaign.
The Catalan’s side became the first in history to win four English top-flight titles in a row, having already lifted a first UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup earlier in the season.
City also received widespread recognition across the course of the evening with nominees making the top 30 in both the men’s and women’s categories.
Erling Haaland, Phil Foden and Ruben Dias all joined Rodri on the shortlist for this year’s men’s award, while Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw, Yui Hasegawa, and Lauren Hemp were amongst the candidates for the Women’s trophy.
Summer signing Savinho was also nominated for the Kopa Trophy after he helped Girona secure UEFA Champions League qualification for the first time in their history.
Director of Football Txiki Begiristain said: “Everyone at Manchester City will quite rightly feel very proud tonight.
“Rodri is our first-ever winner of this award, and he totally deserves that honour.
“He is a player completely without ego, whose performance level over a very long period of time has been exceptional.
“The consistency he has shown is the result of hard work and dedication.
“He is a perfect professional, a person who approaches every single training session with the right attitude.
“He wants to be the best and he is prepared to make the necessary sacrifices to make that a reality.
“The club is also proud to have had so many other players shortlisted for this award.
“To have so many players in contention for this prize is further evidence we are living through an incredible period in Manchester City’s history.”