The Manchester City midfielder, who secured the prestigious award at a star-studded ceremony in Paris last month, became the first Premier League player to claim the Ballon d’Or since Cristiano Ronaldo in 2008.
Rodri triumphed over Real Madrid’s Vinicius Jr. to take the accolade, which marked a historic shift as neither Messi nor Ronaldo appeared on the 30-man shortlist for the first time since 2003.
Between them, the two legends have amassed 13 Ballon d’Or titles — eight for Messi and five for Ronaldo — during an extraordinary two-decade rivalry.
Reflecting on his experiences in La Liga with Villarreal and Atletico Madrid, Rodri shared his insights in an interview with ElHormiguero.
“Lionel Messi is the greatest player of all time, without any doubt. Cristiano has managed to match Messi without innate talent. But those of us who have played against them can see the difference. We didn’t want Cristiano to step into the box because he was lethal there. But with Messi, the danger was everywhere on the pitch.”
Rodri continued: “When Messi got the ball, you’d think: ‘Oh, danger.’ When I first started playing against him, I tried to take the ball from him, and he dodged you as if you were a bull in the ring. The feeling I had was that something bad was about to happen.”
Interestingly, in August, when asked about the GOAT debate, Rodri surprisingly overlooked both Messi and Ronaldo, opting instead for Manchester City teammate Kevin De Bruyne.
Rodri’s Ballon d’Or win will be celebrated at the Etihad Stadium ahead of City’s match against Tottenham on Saturday. Returning after ACL surgery, his comeback will be a welcome boost for Pep Guardiola’s side, who struggled during his absence, suffering four consecutive defeats.