With Rodri introduced because the 2024 Ballon d’Or winner, we take a look at the Manchester Metropolis midfielder’s stats to see if it was justified.
Rodri has received the 2024 Ballon d’Or award, which could be a shock to some, although not as a result of there are any doubts in regards to the Manchester Metropolis star’s credentials.
It’s simply that we so hardly ever see central midfielders within the working for a prize that has been so dominated by attacking gamers through the years.
Jorginho – then of Chelsea – got here third in 2021, however central midfielders don’t typically seem within the race for the Ballon d’Or, not to mention win it. Andrés Iniesta and Xavi featured within the prime three on quite a few events between 2009 and 2012, however the final midfielder to win the distinguished award was Kaka in 2007, and he was barely a central midfielder. Pavel Nedved received it in 2003, whereas Rivaldo (1999) and Zinedine Zidane (1998) did so previous to that.
After a yr that noticed him win one other Premier League title with Man Metropolis earlier than occurring to be a key a part of Spain’s profitable Euro 2024 marketing campaign, Rodri has earned the accolade after a vote from his friends. He’s the primary ever Metropolis participant to win it, and the primary participant from the Premier League to take action since Cristiano Ronaldo in 2008 when he was at Manchester United.
He additionally turned the third Spanish participant to win the Ballon d’Or and the primary in 64 years, following Alfredo Di Stéfano (1957 and 1959) and Luis Suárez (1960).
Actual Madrid’s Vinícius Júnior had been the bookies favorite to win after his personal particular yr that included scoring within the 2-0 UEFA Champions League remaining win over Borussia Dortmund. Regardless of his greatest efforts, TNT Sports activities pundit Rio Ferdinand shouting “Ballon d’Or!” time and again at Wembley because the Brazilian scored that aim in Could wasn’t sufficient to safe the award for him.
So, does the information again up the choice to go along with Rodri over Vinícius?
Rodri was a dependable determine for Metropolis in 2023-24, beginning extra matches (50) than any of his teammates, whereas he additionally performed probably the most minutes (4,325). At Euro 2024 with Spain, he began six of their seven matches earlier than struggling an damage and being withdrawn at half-time of the ultimate towards England.
Of his 50 video games final season, Metropolis received 38, drew 11 and misplaced simply as soon as, which was the FA Cup remaining towards Manchester United. Within the 9 video games Rodri didn’t function, Metropolis received simply 5, dropping 4 of them.
In his 50 video games in all competitions for Man Metropolis, he recorded 22 aim involvements (9 objectives, 13 assists). He had by no means beforehand registered greater than seven objectives in a marketing campaign, or greater than seven assists.
He additionally averaged 111.2 passes per 90 minutes with an accuracy of 92.3%. That’s extra passes per 90 than every other participant from Europe’s prime 5 leagues in all competitions; in truth, his common was 8.8 passes per 90 increased than every other participant, with Bayer Leverkusen’s Granit Xhaka second with 102.4.
Rodri set a brand new Premier League document (since 2003-04) for profitable passes (3,359) and profitable passes within the opposition’s half (2,122) in a single season within the 2023-24 marketing campaign.
His objectives have been typically necessary ones, too, together with an 88th-minute winner away to Sheffield United, and a late aim at Chelsea that put Metropolis 4-3 up earlier than Cole Palmer’s even later equaliser from the penalty spot. Rodri discovered the web once more towards Chelsea to equalise within the 83rd minute within the reverse fixture, and hit the final aim to clinch the very important 3-1 win over West Ham to safe the Premier League title.
The Ballon d’Or is for his work between August 2023 and July 2024, nevertheless it’s price mentioning how essential Rodri has been general in his time in England.
Since signing for the membership in 2019-20, he has solely missed 25 of Manchester Metropolis’s 199 Premier League matches. In all competitions, solely teammate Bernardo Silva (263) has performed extra video games than Rodri of Premier League gamers in that point (260), whereas no outfielder has began as many (238).
On the time he suffered damage towards Arsenal in September, he was additionally second (20,555) to solely Bruno Fernandes (21,210) for minutes performed in all competitions by Premier League outfielders at membership degree since 2019-20, although he has since been overtaken by Mohamed Salah (20,725) and Declan Rice (20,628). You possibly can add in 50 nationwide workforce appearances for Spain in that timeframe for good measure.
Since his Premier League debut in August 2019, Metropolis have misplaced seven of their 25 video games with out Rodri within the aspect (28%). Three got here within the first half of final season, with defeats towards Wolves, Arsenal and Aston Villa earlier than his return to the aspect steadied the ship and helped ship a document fourth consecutive Premier League title.
Total, their win fee is over 10 proportion factors decrease when he’s lacking in comparison with when he’s appeared throughout these seasons, whereas they’re much less dominant at each ends of the pitch, averaging a constructive aim distinction of 1.7 when he performs in comparison with 1.2 when he doesn’t.
Metropolis’s common points-per-game determine with out Rodri unsurprisingly dips, too, going from 2.4 with him to 2.0 with out.
Rodri was on the centre of every thing Man Metropolis did within the Premier League final season as they marched to a document fourth title in a row. He was the one participant to common greater than 100 profitable passes per sport (103), whereas nobody noticed as a lot of the ball as he did, along with his 126 touches per 90 minutes 24 greater than any of his teammates within the competitors. He additionally led the Premier League rankings for open-play sequence involvements per 90 (2,000+ minutes performed), with 8.4.
The hamstring damage suffered within the Euro 2024 remaining additionally saved him out of Metropolis’s opening three league video games of this season, earlier than he returned as a half-time substitute of their 2-1 win over Brentford on Matchday 4.
Having performed the complete 90 minutes in Metropolis’s 0-0 draw with Inter within the UEFA Champions League, followers would have hoped Rodri’s damage issues have been behind him, however their worst fears got here to move. He sustained an ACL damage within the 2-2 draw with Arsenal in September that has finally put an finish to his 2024-25 marketing campaign.
Regardless of outcomes largely remaining constructive, the marginally unconvincing nature of them may effectively be due in some half to the absence of the calming and heat hug of a determine that’s Rodri. Pep Guardiola’s aspect needed to come from behind and struggle arduous to safe wins over Fulham and Wolves, whereas their 1-0 residence win over Southampton on Saturday was way more modest than many anticipated.
It is going to be a very long time earlier than Rodri is again taking part in, and soccer followers ought to all sit up for seeing him return in 2025-26.
For now, the 28-year-old can console himself with probably the most prestigious particular person prize in world soccer.
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