'I called my father crying' - Rodri admits he nearly quit football

Rodri claimed his Ballon d’Or triumph was a victory for football after revealing he nearly quit as a teenager.

The Manchester City midfielder’s surprise win in Paris was overshadowed by the childish boycott of the ceremony by Real Madrid after Vinicius Jr came second. But Rodri is a worthy winner after winning a fourth consecutive Premier League title and then the Player of the Tournament as his Spain won Euro 2024.

And his election is recognition by the jury that football is a team sport not just made up of superstar egos. Since Kaka ’s win in 2007, only Luka Modric (2018) and Karim Benzema (2022) have broken the domination of Lionel Messi (eight wins) and Cristiano Ronaldo (five).

And Rodri, who appeared at the ceremony on crutches after undergoing season-ending ACL surgery last month, said: “We are often overshadowed by more attacking players but this time it is our turn. I am just a normal boy who profits from his job. I try to be a good team-mate, to give the best version of myself.

“I have a thought for all the great midfielders, those who have won the Ballon d’Or before me. Messi and Ronaldo, the two best players in history, have for a long time confiscated this trophy but they are no longer here. Their absence launches a new era with a lot of great players. Football has won.”

He is first Manchester City player to win the award and first Spanish male since Luis Suarez in 1960. His City team-mate Ilkay Gundogan said: “From today on he is finally not ‘underrated’ anymore. I’m especially happy that someone in a defensive position is winning this title and not always just the offensive players.”

Shaped by Diego Simeone at Atletico Madrid and now Pep Guardiola at City, the modest star has developed into the perfect modern midfielder. Rodri, who scored the winning goal in the 2023 Champions League final, added: “Winning the Ballon d’Or is the realisation of a dream and a genuine honour for me.

“However, individual prizes are so often the result of strong team performances, and I am eternally grateful to everyone at Manchester City. My teammates are the best – I could not ask for more from them, both personally and professionally – and the support I receive from across every department at the football club means I am given the opportunity to focus on my football and perform at my very best.

“I am very fortunate to be able to call myself a Manchester City player. My focus now is returning to full fitness and pulling on a City shirt again.”

Madrid-born Rodri, who was rejected by the Atletico Madrid academy, also spoke about his testing journey to the top. “When I was 17-year-old I packed up my suitcases and I went to Villarreal with a dream to work in the Premier League,” he recalled. ”One day I called my father crying, telling him it was all over and that I had invested my life to get here and I had the feeling that this was it.

“My father said we had come all the way here, let’s keep going and this is something that changed my mindset and now, here I am.”

Rodri added: “I am going to keep doing what got me here. It is a message to young people: work, well done, can allow you to reach a very high level . It is my formula for success which will happen again I hope.”