Nigeria, Oct. 29 -- Manchester City and Spanish national team midfielder Rodri has beaten Real Madrid duo Vinicius Junior and Jude Bellingham to win the 2024 Ballon d'Or award, which recognizes a player's performance over the year, rating them as the best in the world annually.

Rodri, 28, is the first Premier League player to claim the award since Cristiano Ronaldo in 2008, who won it with Manchester United. He is also the first Spaniard to win it since 1960 and the first Manchester City player to ever receive the honour.

Amid several controversies surrounding the award, the entire Real Madrid squad and coaching staff were absent from the ceremony. It was earlier suggested that Vinicius Junior was denied the award for non-football-relat...