After a truly historic season in which he won more individual and team trophies than most players manage in their career, Manchester City’s Rodri has emerged as one of the outside contenders for this year’s Ballon d’Or in October.
After moving to Manchester City in 2019, the Spaniard has established himself as arguably the finest holding midfielder in world football and a key player for two of the leading sides in the sport on both the international and club circuit.
Here are a few reasons why Man City’s maestro might be worth a bet for the most prestigious award for an individual footballer.
Trophy Haul
In just the last month, Rodri has collected winner’s medals for the English Premier League, FA Cup, UEFA Champions League and UEFA Nations League, all whilst being named UEFA Champions League player of the season and UEFA Nations League Finals Player of the Tournament.
Now, although he may have not grasped the attention that the two leading Ballon d’Or candidates (Lionel Messi and Erling Haaland) have, in recent years the voting process for the award has shown a level of appreciation for unsung heroes in successful teams.
Former Chelsea midfielder Jorginho finished in third place in 2021 for his victorious EURO 2020 and UEFA Champions League campaigns, and Rodri helping steer Manchester City to a historic treble may be enough to win enough votes to be considered for the award.
Big Moments
Despite holding midfielders not being generally known for big moments in the attacking third of the pitch, Rodri has produced several game-changing moments for club and country this season.
A stunning left-footed shot from long range gave Manchester City the lead in their second leg win over Bayern Munich in the UEFA Champions League quarter finals, before he swept home a loose ball in the final against Inter Milan to finally take Manchester City to the promised land in a tense 1-0 win.
Rodri also scored his penalty in the final shootout against Croatia in the Nations League final, helping Spain win their first international trophy in 11 years.
Style of Play
Rodri is the perfect modern day holding midfielder. Manchester City are known for their all-out attacking football, and this is made possible by the likes of Rodri giving City’s more creative players the freedom to push forward and attack without having to worry about what is happening behind them.
Offensively, he can effectively carry the ball into space and pick passes between the lines to the likes of Kevin De Bruyne and Ilkay Gundogan. On top of this, if he isn’t closed down outside the box he is more than capable of beating any goalkeeper in the world from distance.
He was a constant part of Pep Guardiola’s team in a season where the manager changed many of his players in a search for the perfect creative formula.
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