Rodri, Bonmatí Win Prestigious Ballon d'Or Awards; Hayes Named Women’s Coach of the Year

Barcelona's Spansih midfielder Aitana Bonmati (L) and Manchester City's Spanish midfielder Rodri pose with their Ballon d'Or award during the 2024 Ballon d'Or France Football award ceremony at the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris on October 28, 2024. Franck Fife/AFP via Getty Images

Spanish midfielder Rodri has become the most decorated soccer player in the world.

He helped Manchester City win its record fourth consecutive English Premier League title. He led Spain to the Euro 2024 championship. Now, he’s been named the winner of the Ballon d'Or 2024 for men’s players, which goes to the game’s top player globally.

Rodri, who is currently sidelined with a knee injury, is the first player from Manchester City to win the award.

“Winning the Ballon d’Or is the realization of a dream and a genuine honor for me,” Rodri said in a statement to the club. “I have given so much to football, and to be rewarded this evening with the most revered individual prize in the game is something incredibly special for me and my family. 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.”

Rodri is one of the most talented defensive midfielders in the world. He also played a key role for the Spanish National Team, which won the Euro 2024, where he was awarded best player in the tournament.

In his four seasons at Manchester City, he has won four Premier League titles, an FA Cup, and two League Cups. Rodri can also create scoring opportunities, and he scored the winning goal in the 2023 Champions League final.

Last year, he scored a career-high nine goals and had 14 assists for Manchester City. Rodri is the first Spanish player to win the men’s award since Luis Suárez won in 1960, and the first Premier League player to win the award since Cristiano Ronaldo in 2008.

A pair of Real Madrid players—Vinicius Jr. of Brazil and Jude Bellingham from England—finished second and third, respectively.

On the women’s side, Barcelona’s Aitana Bonmatí was the women’s winner for the second straight year.

It was also the second time a player from Barcelona won the award in consecutive years with Alexia Putellas being honored in 2021 and 2022.

Bonmati was instrumental in helping Barcelona win the Liga F, the Champions League, Supercopa, and Copa de la Reina last season. She scored a career-high 19 goals across all four of those competitions.

“I am very lucky to have so many players around me to keep me developing and growing as a player,” Bonmatí said in a statement to the club. “Without the staff I would never have achieved this success. And thank you to Joan Laporta and the Board of Directors for everything you do. I am here to keep battling for a much longer time.”

In addition, Emma Hayes, who led the U.S. Women’s National Team to a gold medal in the Paris Olympics this summer, won the Ballon d’Or as the Women’s Soccer Coach of the Year.

Hayes took over the U.S. Women’s National Team in May after leading Chelsea FC to the Women’s Super League title in England. Under her leadership, the Americans won all six games in France, including a 1–0 victory over Brazil in the gold medal match.

Hayes was named the Best FIFA Women’s Coach in 2021.