Manchester City midfielder Rodri celebrated his Ballon d'Or award today at the Etihad before his side's game against Tottenham on Saturday evening.
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The Spaniard, after controversially winning the 2024 Ballon d'Or award ahead of Real Madrid forward Vincius Jr., was presented with the trophy in a spectacular display on the Etihad pitch before the game kicked off.
Rodri became the first Premier League player to win the award since 2008, when Cristiano Ronaldo won the title. Rodri put on a smile while picking up the award as he celebrated alongside the Etihad fans.
The world's best! ????
— Manchester City (@ManCity)
Welcome home, Rodri ????
A light show accompanied the presentation, with "Rodri" and "Ballon d'Or 2024" projected onto the field. He was also greeted by his partner Laura Iglesias, and the two shared a kiss.
Rodri was part of the City team that won the treble in the 2022–23 season, but he has been a big miss on the Pep Guardiola team this season as City come into the game sitting second, five points behind leader Liverpool in the Premier League table.
The Spanish midfielder also won the Player of the Tournament award at Euro 2024, having helped Spain become champions with a win over England in the final.
Manchester City have performed woefully without Rodri, as they have lost 2.6 percent of games since February 2023 compared to the 33.3 percent lost without him.
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 could potentially get worse on Saturday night, as they currently fell to an early 3-0 deficit at the hands of Tottenham at the Etihad Stadium in the Premier League.
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