The brilliant Spaniard was instrumental in the victories for both his team and his nation last season, and his amazing contribution must be recognised.In February 2021, Pep Guardiola observed, “The best holding midfielders don’t appear on the front pages of newspapers.” “They hide behind the team, but when the team plays well it is because they are outstanding.” The coach of Manchester City was alluding to Rodri, who had only joined the team a year and a half prior.Those quotes came shortly after a rare fallow period for City, who had been left way behind Liverpool in the previous season’s title race and had made a poor start to the 2020-21 campaign, dropping 16 points from their first 12 games. But they had since got back to their irresistible best, securing a 10th consecutive league win by thrashing Liverpool 4-1 at Anfield. And a big part of why had been Rodri.Although the Spaniard’s impact on City was modest at the time, Guardiola appreciated the quality of his work. Indeed, Guardiola perhaps did not fully appreciate him either, as he left the Rodri on the bench for the Champions League final defeat by Chelsea at the end of that campaign.But fast-forward almost four years and Rodri has been on the front pages of newspapers around the world. He might not get the same level of praise as team-mates Erling Haaland or Phil Foden, but his influence on Manchester City and Spain is now universally appreciated.He does not “hide behind the team”, he is front of centre for club and country and last season won two of the most prestigious prizes in football, the Premier League title with City and the European Championship with Spain. Now it’s time for him to get the true recognition he deserves by winning the Ballon d’Or.Serious contenderAfter winning the treble with City and scoring the game-winning goal in the Champions League final against Inter, Rodri was a strong candidate for the 2023 Ballon d’Or. It was the ideal comeback after being benched in Porto two years earlier.Nevertheless, Haaland’s 52 goals in 53 games partly eclipsed his efforts, as he finished fifth while the Norwegian scored the most goals for City.While he was still basking in the glory of leading Argentina to World Cup victory, Lionel Messi won his eighth Ballon d’Or. But now that Argentina has won the Copa America, Messi’s iron grasp on the trophy need to be loosed, and Rodri should assume the mantle.74 games without a lossThe 2023–24 season and summer tournament results will be used to determine this year’s Ballon d’Or winner; Rodri’s contribution to the triple is not taken into account. He was even more effective the previous season, so that’s not really important.He didn’t lose a single game at the end of the Premier League season, and City’s three losses occurred during his suspension. It was in February of 2023 that he suffered a league defeat last.Last season, Rodri also did not lose a Champions League match; nevertheless, after two draws, Real Madrid defeated City on penalties in the quarterfinals. His lone loss came in the FA Cup final versus Manchester United, capping a record-breaking 74 games in all competitions and 475 days without a loss for City.However, it did not ruin his season, as City became the first team in 135 years of English football history to win the league title four times in a row. Haaland remained City’s top scorer, with Foden behind him closely in the race for Premier League Player of the Season, but Rodri’s role in this historic victory was just as significant.

Increased attacking output

Rodri’s game has never been about goals and assists, and yet he struck eight times over the league season, including in City’s first game of the season at Burnley and in their title-clinching victory against West Ham. He set up a further nine goals, too.

He contributed to 17 Premier League goals in total, two more than Bernardo Silva and three more than Kevin De Bruyne, accounting for 17 percent of City’s total output. It made him the 21st biggest contributor to goals in the league, and we cannot stress this enough: He is a holding midfielder.

Rodri’s main role was to guide City through games and he did that to perfection, running the show from the first whistle to the last. It was no coincidence that they lost all three of the matches he missed between September and October after getting sent off against Nottingham Forest for putting his hands around Morgan Gibbs-White’s neck.

That game led to a very rare rebuke from Guardiola, who urged his player to learn to “control himself and his emotions”. Rodri took that on board, and if there was a word to describe his effect on City over the past five years, it is ‘control’.

Dictating everything

Take what Luton Town’s captain Tom Lockyer said after facing Rodri. Luton’s game with City last December would prove to be Lockyer’s last before suffering a cardiac arrest on the pitch against Bournemouth just six days later, but he spoke glowingly of coming up against the ex-Atletico Madrid man, even though City had come from behind to beat his side 2-1.

‘Rodri… Honestly that guy man, it’s just a joy to share the football pitch with him. You don’t say that about a lot of players, but he was certainly one of them where you come off the pitch and you’re like ‘wow’,” Lockyer told BBC Radio Five Live.

“He’s literally just a Rolls Royce, he was just controlling the midfield, he dictated everything, everything went through him. When you thought you had him pressed and you were gonna nick the ball, he was just teasing you in, so his next pass had more time on the ball. The types of games he plays, it’s very rare he gets caught on the ball, he dictates everything Man City try and do.”

‘Give him the Ballon d’Or now’

Lockyer was not the only one taken by the Spaniard’s charms. He was dubbed “the best midfield player in the world, by far” by Guardiola in March.

The Catalan went on, “The highlights have to belong to other people.” “The holding midfielder does not look for praise; instead, he or she must consider the needs of the team. However, within? All of his coworkers and employees are aware of his importance and decisiveness. enormously significant to us.”

Rodri’s international manager Luis de la Fuente described Rodri as “a perfect computer, who administers everything, the emotions, all the moments in a magisterial way” during Spain’s thrilling European Championship campaign.

And after La Roja beat England in the final despite Player of the Tournament Rodri being forced off injured at half-time, De La Fuente went one step further than Guardiola, calling the midfielder “the best player in the world”. A pleading voice said, “Please, give him the Ballon d’Or now!” after that.

Allowing others to thrive

For the first time since Matthias Sammer in 1996, a defensive midfielder should receive the greatest individual prize in sports history, and the football world should take notice. Football has for far too long prioritised goal scorers and flair players above the midfield lynchpins, the men that keep everything running.

However, City and Spain’s top attackers would not be able to flourish as they do now if it weren’t for players like Rodri. Former City attacker Paul Dickov remarked on BBC Radio 5 Live, “He’s the one who allows De Bruyne, Phil Foden, and Bernardo Silva to do what they do because he’s so good.”

Haaland is also free to explore the box in quest of goals thanks to Rodri, whose unselfish efforts also gave Nico Williams and Lamine Yamal the opportunity to fly for Spain and lead La Roja to their first major prize in twelve years.

Listen to De La Fuente

Individual accolades don’t interest Rodri personally. “I play football for that,” he declared in a July interview with The Guardian. “Perhaps people want me to have more marketability, and [Alvaro Morata] occasionally tells me, ‘Mate, you should do this.’ But my perspective on football is different. I don’t get upset if [I get missed] because I understand how it operates. that’s fine if someone wants to pay for their labour someday; that doesn’t disturb me in the slightest.”

In today’s football world, Rodri’s attitude is welcome and perfectly consistent with who he is. After all, this is a man who drove a used Opel Corsa long after he turned professional and was still living in dorms at the university when he made his Villarreal debut.

Disregarding his modesty, though, it’s high time the Ballon d’Or voters paid attention to De La Fuente and acknowledged a player of his calibre. They can also go against Guardiola’s wishes and feature a holding midfielder, carrying the most coveted individual award of them all, on the front pages of newspapers worldwide.