Manchester City midfielder Rodri paraded his Ballon d’Or trophy around the Etihad before his side’s game against Tottenham on Saturday evening.
The Spaniard controversially lifted the trophy at the end of last month ahead of Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jnr, becoming the first Premier League player to do so since 2008, when Cristiano Ronaldo won the title.
It resulted in Real Madrid boycotting the ceremony as a whole, with neither Vinicius or Jude Bellingham, who finished third, present in France when the award was announced.
A number of stars went vocal with their displeasure with the announcement, but Rodri nonetheless embraced the win despite his season essentially being over. Back in September, he suffered an ACL injury, ruling him out of action for a number of months.
Still, he was all smiles as he picked up the trophy and again when he strolled onto the Etihad pitch before kick-off on Saturday night, and displayed he showed off his trophy to those in attendance inside the ground.
A light show accompanied the presentation, with ‘Rodri’ and ‘Ballon d’Or 2024’ projected onto the field. He was also greeted by partner Laura Iglesias, with the two sharing a kiss.
Manchester City midfielder Rodri paraded his Ballon d’Or trophy to Manchester City fans at the Etihad on Saturday
The midfielder controversially beat Vinicius Jnr to the award, which was presented last month
He showed it off during a form of light ceremony as fans greeted midfielder before kick off
Behind Rodri, an object lit up with the midfielder’s name on, and he couldn’t hold back his joy as he waved to those in attendance, wearing an all-black suit.
He punched the air, kissed his trophy and waved to the fans as they cheered him on.
The 28-year-old also entered the field of play again right before kick off, just after his manager, Pep Guardiola, made his entrance to a raucous reception having just signed his new contract extension.
His team-mates who were starting to game gave him a guard of honour, with each player congratulating him again before he left the field. Erling Haaland appeared to joke that he should stay on the field.
Rodri was part of the City team that won the Treble in the 2022-23 season, but was also instrumental in the team that won the Premier League for a fourth time in a row last term.
He also won the Player of the Tournament award at Euro 2024, having helped Spain become champions with a win over England in the final.
‘I’ll do it 10x if I have to. They’re not ready,’ Vinicus posted on X, hinting at future successes, breaking his silence on being snubbed for the award. He was a hot favourite to win it after his epic contribution leading Madrid’s frontline to a LaLiga-Champions League double.
The Brazilian, 24, hit six goals and four assists in 10 Champions League appearances and tallied 20 goal involvements in 26 La Liga matches.
Vinicius Jr and the rest of the Real Madrid entourage boycotted the ceremony as a result
Erling Haaland appeared to joke that Rodri should stay on the pitch prior to kick off
Rodri was also greeted by partner Laura Iglesias, with the two sharing a kiss on the field
But Rodri himself has proved vital to City’s success. With him in their side, they have lost 2.6 per cent of games since February 2023 compared to the 33.3 per cent lost without him.
Things have been difficult since his last appearance two months ago, with City second in the Premier League table but five points behind leaders Liverpool.
They have also lost their last four games in all competitions, including one in the League Cup, two in the Premier League and one in the Champions League.
Things got worse on Saturday, when they fell to an early 2-0 deficit at the hands of Tottenham at home in the Premier League.
