The Ballon d’Or conversation continues to get even more interesting as we near October 26th. Lamine Yamal, Ousmane Dembélé, Kylian Mbappé, and Harry Kane are all leading candidates to win the coveted award, but Barcelona midfielder Rodri’s latest statement about the award might cause a stir around the club.
Rodri joined Barcelona from Manchester City this summer for a reported fee of £68m after seven spectacular years at Manchester City, where he won a host of trophies and individual awards, including the Ballon d’Or two years ago. The former Atlético Madrid man was asked about his chances of winning his second Ballon d’Or after helping Spain lift their second-ever World Cup and winning the Player of the Tournament award in the USA over the summer.
Rodri answered and stated that Barcelona have decided to push Lamine Yamal for the award, as they believe that he is the most deserving of the award. He also reiterated that he hopes a Spanish player wins the award.
His direct quote when he spoke to Mundo Deportivo:
Ballon d’Or? The club has chosen to back Lamine. They say he’s the player most deserving of the award, and that’s completely legitimate.” “I hope that a Spanish player wins.”
Many have suggested that Barcelona choosing to back Lamine Yamal over Rodri, who was the best player at the World Cup, could cause ego issues at the club.
Some reports also suggested that Barcelona faced the same scenario when they decided to back Lamine Yamal over Raphinha, who had a brilliant campaign back in 2024/25.
Rodri has long supported Lamine Yamal to win the Ballon d’Or, but could Barcelona have also made an effort to promote a player who won two trophies at Manchester City last season and also returned from an injury to lead his country to win the World Cup against a Messi-led Argentine side?
