HE WAS hobbling on crutches and needed help getting on to the stage and the sight of the soccer star struggling to collect football's most prestigious prize drove home what a worthy winner he was.
Rodrigo Hernández Cascante could have stayed at home nursing his injury, but he's not the kind of guy to let anything stand in his way. And so he was at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris when he was announced the winner of the 2024 Ballon d'Or and cemented his place in the history books forever.
The 28-year-old Spaniard was sublime in the 2023/24 campaign, helping Spain win the UEFA European Football Championship and being instrumental in leading Manchester City to a record fourth successive English Premier League title.
Rodri, as he's known, notched up 74 games and 475 days without experiencing defeat for club or country, with his last Premier League loss occurring in February 2023 against Tottenham Hotspur.
Sadly, all these months of putting his body on the line eventually took their toll on the towering midfielder and he suffered a torn cruciate ligament during City's 2-2 clash against Arsenal in September, sidelining him for the rest of the season.
It was a bitter blow - but the Ballon d'Or will make his layoff just a little bit sweeter.
Real Madrid superstars Vinicius Junior, Jude Bellingham and Dani Carvajal were among the nominees, but it was Rodri who took the coveted gong home.
It was a momentous occasion. For the past 16 years Cristiano Ronaldo (39) and Lionel Messi (37) have dominated at the Ballon d'Or awards and this was the first time since 2003 that neither player appeared on the list of nominees.
It's time for the new guard and Rodri is front and centre of it all. He became the first Spaniard since Luis Suarez Miramontes in 1960 to win the trophy and he dedicated his win to his country.
Bu hikaye YOU South Africa dergisinin 14 November 2024 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Giriş Yap
Bu hikaye YOU South Africa dergisinin 14 November 2024 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
BALLON IN THE BAG
Manchester City midfielder Rodrigo Hernandez Cascante says his Ballon d'Or win is a victory for Spanish football
IT WAS ALL A LIE
A new doccie exposes the Grey's Anatomy writer who fabricated her life story
'I WILL NEVER GIVE UP'
After her husband, anticorruption activist Alexei Navalny, was poisoned and murdered by the Kremlin, she became the public face of Russia's opposition. In this candid interview Yulia Navalnaya opens up about life on the run, her perilous family life and why she's continuing her husband's fight to save their country
AGREE TO DISAGREE
Trevor Noah on how his childhood squabbles with his mother inspired his delightful new book
PAUSE THE CLOCK
Researchers have discovered that the ageing process spikes at 44 and 60. Here's what you can do to slow it down
MPOOMY ON TOP
We chat to SA's most popular female podcaster about love, loss and her booming success
MY BROTHER IS NOT TO BLAME
Tinus Drotské says his sibling, ex Bok Nǎka, is the victim in the brawl with a neighbour that landed up in court
MATT THE RECLUSE
A year after his friend's tragic death, the actor continues to shun the spotlight
A LEAP OF FAITH
After her husband tried to kill her by tampering with her parachute she thought she'd never trust a man again-but now she's found love
THEY'RE MY KIDS!
This West Coast woman treats her monkeys as iftheyre humans and animal activists are not happy about it
