Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola is glad to have Spain midfielder Rodri back in training but has no idea yet if he will feature at all in this month's FA Cup final, saying "I'm not a doctor".
City have struggled badly without Ballon d'Or winner Rodri, who suffered a serious knee injury in September.
Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti vehemently defended his sides’ decision to boycott the Ballon d’Or award ceremony last year in protest of Vinicius Jr’s snub and said that Rodri, who edged out Vinicius for the award, should have won the prize a year earlier instead of Lionel Messi.
The winners of the ninth edition of The Best FIFA Football Awards 2024 will be revealed in the early hours of Thursday (Bangladesh time). The awards recognise the year’s top players in women’s and men’s football at club and national levels and celebrate their performances.
Rodri, who won the Ballon d'Or last month, underwent surgery after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury during a 2-2 draw at Arsenal, with manager Pep Guardiola saying he would not play again this season.
“Why would it hurt me? It was my moment, to enjoy with my family. The last thing I’d be thinking about is people who weren’t there, and didn’t want to participate,” Rodri said in an interview with COPE radio.
It was revealed that five of the 99 journalists who voted for this year’s Ballon d’Or left eventual winner Rodri out of their top 10 list while three journos did not have Vinicius Junior, who came second after the Spanish midfielder, in the top 10 of their ballot.
Brazil coach Dorival Junior said that it was an injustice that forward Vinicius Junior did not win the Ballon d’Or this year.
Rodri becoming the first Manchester City player to win the Ballon d'Or award for the best player in the world on Monday did come as a surprise to many, and with ample reasons too as he pipped favourite Vinicius Junior of Real Madrid and Brazil to lift the most prestigious individual award in football.
The players sang "Gibraltar is Spanish" on July 15, the day after they won the European Championship with a 2-1 victory over England in Berlin, during a public celebration in the Spanish capital. Gibraltar is a British territory located at the southern tip of Spain.
Euro 2024 champions Spain deserve to have one of their players win the Ballon d'Or, player of the tournament Rodri said after Sunday's 2-1 victory over England.
Spain midfielder Rodri was named the best player of Euro 2024 after helping La Roja beat England 2-1 to win the competition for a fourth time in Berlin on Sunday.
Finally handed the keys to Spain's midfield at a major tournament, Rodri Hernandez has driven the side to the verge of Euro 2024 glory.
All 51 matches will be played across 10 stadiums, marking Germany's organisation of another international football event after the 2006 World Cup.
Rodri's late equaliser extended Manchester City's year-long unbeaten record at home but a 1-1 draw against Chelsea on Saturday handed Liverpool and Arsenal a huge boost in the Premier League title race.
Goals by Rodri and Julian Alvarez in each half barely did justice to City's dominance as they enjoyed 84% possession in a routine win that at times resembled a training session.
Haaland drove a first half spot-kick against the post before his header put City in front after the break at Bramall Lane
Spain midfielder Rodri was named the UEFA Nations League's Player of the Tournament after his side edged Croatia 5-4 in a penalty shootout at the Feyenoord Stadium on Sunday.
Rodri stepped up for Manchester City when their star attackers failed to deliver in the Champions League final on Saturday, capping a memorable season for the Spain midfielder by scoring the goal which made his team kings of Europe.
