see why Rodri should receive the Ballon d'Or

The Spanish newspaper “Marca” guarantees that midfielder Rodri will be elected the best player in the world. The Manchester City and Spanish national team player should receive the award that will be presented in Paris, at the Théâtre du Châtelet, at 4pm this Monday (28).

If the information is confirmed, a Spanish player will receive the award again after 64 years; the last one was Luís Suárez, in 1960, while he played for Barcelona.

Despite having his best season in 2022-23, Rodri managed to maintain a high level in 2023-24. Today, he is considered the best midfielder in the world and was a fundamental player in Manchester City and the Spanish national team. Winning the award competing with names like Vini Jr, Bellingham and Mbappé highlights the player's quality.

Best player of the European Cup

At the end of the season, Rodri played in the European Championship as a starter for Spain. The player was a leader on the field, and his experience was important in a team full of young people. Considered a “piano carrier”, he fulfilled important tactical functions for the team's functioning, giving freedom to the highlights Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams. His defensive application was also praised, preventing a goal from Harry Kane in the final of the competition. The player was champion and elected the best player in the competition.

Embed from Getty Images

_{Rodri with the award for best player of the European Championship (Photo: reproduction/Javier Soriano/Getty Images Embed)}

In this criterion, Rodri is well ahead of his main competitors for the award. Mbappé and Bellingham were not as prominent in the European Championship as the Spaniard and were even eliminated from the competition by Spain. In the Copa América, Vini Jr had a poor performance, a factor that was decisive for the Brazilian, who was the favorite, not to win the Ballon d'Or.

In the Eurocup, Rodri scored one goal in six games played, completing 93% of his passes and recovering 33 balls.

Undefeated title in the Premier League

At Manchester City, the player was Premier League champion, being an absolute starter and one of the team's highlights. In 34 games, the midfielder scored eight goals and made nine assists. But what stands out most is the fact that, in the 34 times the Spaniard was on the field, City didn't lose once; In the four matches that Rodri did not play, his team lost three games, making clear his importance to the team.

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_{Rodri celebrating a goal scored by City (Photo: reproduction/Justin Setterfield/Getty Images Embed)}

Overall, the midfielder remained undefeated in 74 games over a period of 475 days. The mark was broken in the FA Cup final when Manchester City were defeated by Manchester United

There were 475 days of unbeaten streak for the team, translated into 74 games. The mark was only broken in the team's final game of the 2023-24 season, in a defeat to Manchester United in the FA Cup final. In any case, the athlete's undeniable influence, recognized several times by the coach, was the guiding thread for part of the victorious era.

Featured photo: Rodri lifting the Euro Cup (Reproduction/Instagram/@euro2024)