Former Liberian President and 1995 Ballon d'Or winner George Weah presented the award to Rodri. The Silver Ball was awarded to Vinicius and the Bronze Ball went to Jude Bellingham, both players for Real Madrid, the club that won La Liga and the Champions League last season.

Due to a season-ending knee ligament injury in September, Rodri came onto the stage on crutches with the help of Didier Drogba, the former star striker of Chelsea FC and Ivory Coast.

As the first Spaniard in 64 years to win the Ballon d'Or, the most prestigious individual accolade in football, Rodri also sent his gratitude to generations of Spanish players. 

“This is a victory for Spanish football. I think in some periods we played the best football in the world, with some of the best players, who changed the way we play and understand football. Therefore, I think part of this Ballon d'Or belongs to them, because they were an example for me when I was young,” he said.

Rodri began as a youth player for Atletico Madrid and Villarreal at the age of 19 before joining Manchester City in the summer of 2019 with a signing fee of 81 million USD. Last season the midfielder helped Manchester City win the Premier League and was a key player in Spain’s European Championship triumph. Rodri was voted the best player of that tournament.

This has been a good year for Spanish football. The Women's Ballon d'Or was awarded to Barcelona midfielder Aitana Bonmati and the "Best Young Player" award was given to Lamine Yamal, the 17-year-old winger of FC Barcelona and the Spanish national team.