Rodri receives message of support from Manchester City teammate over Ballon d’Or fate | OneFootball

Manchester City defender Rico Lewis has shown his support for teammate Rodrigo in the race for the 2024 edition of the iconic Ballon d’Or award.

The Spanish international has rapidly emerged as one of the favourites for the greatest individual prize in the game in recent weeks, having claimed his fourth title of the season and his eighth in the last two campaigns.

Rodri, alongside the remarkable efforts and performances of his teammates, managed to claim the European Championships title in a tournament run in Germany that featured victories over the host nation, France, and England in a Berlin final.

Despite being substituted during the half-time interval with an injury problem, Spain recorded a 2-1 win over Gareth Southgate’s side and Rodri received UEFA’s Player of the Tournament for his stellar performances throughout the seven matches.

And while football supporters across the globe debate who should be the recipient of this year’s coveted Ballon d’Or trophy, Rodri has now received public support from one of his Manchester City teammates.

Speaking to reporters in North Carolina this week, as Manchester City gear up for their pre-season opener against Celtic on Tuesday night, Rico Lewis has glowed with praise for teammate Rodrigo, and offered his support to the midfielder for the Ballon d’Or award.

“He’s getting more of the accolades he deserves now – more of the personal accolades. He’s a serial winner,” Lewis exclaimed, as relayed by the Manchester Evening News. “Personally I think he should win it,” he continued on the subject of Rodri’s Ballon d’Or chances.

“For the past three or four years he’s been so good. He’s been one of the best in the world for a while now. It’s difficult for a holding midfielder to win it but he showed with the goals, the assists – he does everything. There is no reason why he shouldn’t win it.”

Rico Lewis continued, “You watch his performances but also in training, he talks to you, he takes you away and tells you what he sees and nine times out of 10 he’s right.

“When I move into midfield he gives you like a protection – that makes you play even better because you are not worrying about what might happen. You’ve got someone who is always thinking two steps ahead. It makes it ten times easier.”

Rodri is likely to face competition from two of Real Madrid’s attacking stars at the Ballon d’Or ceremony later this year, with Vinicius Jr and Jude Bellingham both tipped as alternative favourites for the prize.

The likes of Dani Carvajal could also feature in the final nominations shortlist, while Kylian Mbappe – despite not having his best individual campaign – could feature among the nominations due to his standing in the global game.

One factor that some believe could hinder Rodri’s chances of claiming the Ballon d’Or is his lack of social media presence, with Alvaro Morata joking during Spain’s Euro 2024 celebrations in Madrid that an Instagram profile may need to be created in order for him to win the honour.