"Maybe the most intelligent player in the world right now" - Julien Laurens insists PL star 'deserves to win the Ballon d'Or' this year
Famed football journalist Julien Laurens believes Manchester City star Rodri has done enough to win the Ballon d'Or this year. The Spaniard is among four City players nominated for the award alongside Phil Foden, Ruben Dias, and Erling Haaland.
Rodri will have to compete with 29 other players for arguably football's most prestigious individual award which will be handed out in Paris on October 28. Speaking about the 28-year-old's chances of winning the award, French football journalist Laurens said on BBC's Euro Leagues podcast:
"Rodri has been the best player in the world for two seasons now. He's been outstanding in his position. He's not a goalscorer, he doesn't do nutmegs and skills and dribbling. But in his position, he is maybe the most intelligent player in the world right now.
"He's been super decisive - he scored in the Champions League final the season before. Overall, if you look at the past two years, Rodri has been outstanding for club and country, so for me, he deserves the Ballon d'Or more than anyone else."
Playing as a destroyer in an already world-class Manchester City midfield, Rodri racked up an impressive nine goals and 14 assists in 50 games last season. After helping his team win the Premier League title for the fourth time in a row, he won the 2024 UEFA Euros with Spain in Germany.
There, Rodri played in six of their seven matches and was arguably one of their best players, helping his team keep two clean sheets. Spain let in a total of just four goals and didn't concede more than once in any game.
Manchester City's Rodri wants a Spanish player to win Ballon d'Or
Rodri believes that it is about time that Spain had a Ballon d'Or winner, especially after their impressive showing at the 2024 Euros. La Roja swept all major trophies between 2008 and 2012 (two Euros and one FIFA World Cup), but no Spaniard won the prestigious award during that time.
In fact, one would have to go back 64 years to find a Spanish Ballon d'Or winner; Luis Suarez Miramontes won the award in 1960 as a Barcelona player. The 2024 UEFA Euros 'Player of the Tournament' Rodri said back in July (via ESPN):
"I'm going to be honest, I would like for a Spaniard to win it, I don't care who. It would be great. I've heard that [Dani] Carvajal also deserves it. From an individual standpoint, I'm very proud of what I am doing and the recognition I'm getting. But someone else has to make that assessment. I came here to win Euro 2024."
Dani Olmo, Nico Williams, Dani Carvajal, Lamine Yamal, and Alejandro Grimaldo, who enjoyed an invincible 2023-24 season with Bayer Leverkusen, are the other Spaniards nominated for the award.