Rodri proud to be first City player to win Ballon d’Or | OneFootball

Rodri says he is hugely proud to be the first Manchester City player to win the Ballon d’Or and first Spanish player for six decades.

The midfielder was a pivotal figure in Pep Guardiola’s incredible side we became the first English men’s team to win four successive top-flight titles.

He was then Player of the Tournament at the 2024 European Championships after helping Spain to the trophy for the first time in 12 years.

After all his success with City, including scoring the winner in the 2023 Champions League final, it’s another incredible moment in his brilliant career.

WATCH: Rodri: I can’t wait to share Ballon d’Or success with the fans

“It’s more than a dream come true to win the Ballon d’Or,” Rodri said in his City Studios interview. “What it means for me, for my family, for my country, for my club, it’s great, it’s unbelievable.

“I never expected to do it but once it’s here it shows you how life can surprise you and the hard work can be rewarded in this sense. So it’s unbelievable.

“My dream was to play as a professional and that’s it. I never expected these things. It’s a consequence of always growing and the mentality and the hunger to go for more and ambition. This is the way I am.

“I came to this club to make history and to win. The appeal in these moments is unbelievable because they’re iconic and they will be remembered forever.

“For me, it’s special. My family, everyone who knows me knows how important it is for me.

“Not everything has been great, we went through bad moments also and when you win these things and are able to win in this moment it makes it even more enjoyable in this sense.”

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At the awards ceremony in October, Rodri made sure he thanked all the people that have helped him on his footballing journey from his early days growing up in Spain.

And he said there were many people at City that have helped him greatly including manager Pep Guardiola.

“At City, of course you have team-mates, you have the coach, also the people who work in the club that don’t appear in the lights but they are there and they help you every day,” he added.

“Officials that work with you every day and they support you. Many of them. And of course the people you live with. The missus, I live with her, and she’s always there wanting me to go again.

On Pep, he said: “Of course. We know what he is able to do and the relevance he had in my game and the development since I came here. It’s unbelievable.

“He made me a footballer of another dimension in terms of understanding the game and in this sense he has the ability to improve the players in this way.”

Rodri will be at the Etihad on Saturday for our Premier League game against Spurs to share his Ballon d’Or trophy with the fans.

It will also be the first game since Guardiola signed a contract extension and the midfielder is delighted he is staying.

“It’s exciting, it’s unbelievable,” Rodri said about the new contract. “It’s great for me, for the Club, for the City fans, for the Premier League I would say and for England in general.

“He’s one of the best and he’s with us; you always want the best.

“We’re like a family, we’ve been six years with this one and with the players even more. We know exactly what we want from each other and this makes the process to go again.

“To feel stable is the most important thing in football and with him we feel stable and it’s great for the Club. Great news.”