Spain was at the center of the soccer world on Monday night.
The Ballon d’Or ceremony was held in Paris, and two Spaniards won the night’s biggest honors.
Rodri won the award for best men’s soccer player, while Aitana Bonmati took home the Ballon d’Or Feminin.
Rodri became the first Spanish man to win the Ballon d’Or since Luis Suarez (1960). Bonmati kept Spain’s stranglehold of the women’s Ballon d’Or intact, with the country winning its fourth consecutive award in the category.
Bonmati also won in 2023, while her Barcelona teammate, midfielder Alexia, received the honor in 2021 and 2022.
Since the first Ballon d’Or Feminin was awarded in 2018, Spain is the first country to win both awards in the same year.
Manchester City’s Rodri, a four-time Premier League champion, won a heated race with Real Madrid’s Vinicius, who didn’t attend the event after learning he wouldn’t win the ceremony’s top award.
Per ESPN’s Mark Ogden, Rodri became the first defenseman to win the Ballon d’Or since Italy’s Fabio Cannavaro (2006).
On top of leading Manchester City to a Premier League title, Rodri was also a member of Spain’s Euro 2024 win. Following the event, Rodri was named Player of the Tournament.
Bonmati, a Barcelona midfielder, won the Champions League in May. She scored one of Barcelona’s two goals in a 2-0 win over Lyon in the final and one goal apiece in the quarterfinals and semifinals.
Her six total goals in the Champions League were tied with Barcelona teammate Salma Paralluelo for the third-most during the season.
