Rodri's Ballon d'Or is an act of justice for an unsung category of footballers Ballon d'Or

WWhen Rodrigo Hernández was a student, living in a dormitory and reading business at the University of Castellón, he was, to use his own words, “the lame one who never did anything.” He would go to dinner, maybe stop by the bar, but he would never bother with the after-work stuff. Most of his class couldn't understand it until they saw him play for Villarreal. He was 19, he hadn't said anything and they didn't know he was a soccer player; Now, at 28, he has been voted the best in the world, the first Spaniard to win the Ballon d'Or since Luis Suárez 64 years ago.

On a dramatic day dominated by cries of injustice, this was in some ways an act of justice: for Rodri himself, but moreover for a Art from player and person, to an idea, a concept; to collectivism embodied by an individual, perhaps even by football itself. Also to Spain, even if it was not so received at home, where the refusal of Real Madrid to fly to Paris when they learned that Vinícius Júnior was not would be the winner, set the tone and be heavily overshadowed. A national success, Rodri joined Aitana Bonmatí, was not really celebrated as a whole, certainly not with unanimity.

Even at the Théâtre du Châtelet when George Weah opened the envelope and began to say “The winner is…”there were shouts of “Vinícius!” When Rodri arrived there were some whistles. It was all a bit sleazy, a bit sad, as if he had done something terrible and not only played really, really good football but he rose above it, his speech as generous, clear and restrained as his play. This was something he wanted to convey and although the Brazilian's arguments were convincing and the victory was taken for granted, the idea that Rodri didn't have one is absurd.

When it comes to influencing the way a team plays and conditioning everyone and everything, there is no one like him. Team? teamS. His job, he says, is to “make my team work” and “bring light.” That's why they work like no other. Manchester City, the Premier League champions whom he led to the Champions League last year when his domestic fall was even stronger. And Spain, winner of Euro 2024, the international cup that will decide this time. Pep Guardiola, his manager at City, called him “by far the best midfielder in the world”, while Spain coach Luis de la Fuente described him as “the perfect computer” who led the best European champions of all time.

Enough of the 100 voters – the fact that it is a democracy, albeit a flawed one, is so easily forgotten – agreed. Rodri stood up and handed his crutches to Rúben Dias, whom he thanked for accompanying him to France. He slowly made his way to the stage, where Didier Drogba helped him get into position. Rodri had always said that it was an award that didn't bother him, but if that's true, it's different when you stand there and hold the trophy in your hand. As he looked at it, he sighed, the emotion clear. “I never thought this day would happen,” he said.

“It's not a victory for me, but for Spanish football,” said Rodri, repeatedly referring to “my country.” He mentioned other players who could have won this, perhaps should have, and one who he thinks will win again in the future, all of them Spanish. That was for her. Xavi Hernández, Andrés Iniesta, Iker Casillas and Sergio Busquets. Then Dani Carvajal, who suffered the same knee injury and, in his opinion, deserved to be on stage. They had spoken, Rodri revealed afterwards, and Carvajal was happy for him. He also told Lamine Yamal that he would be up there one day. “Keep working hard,” he told the 17-year-old from Barcelona.

The message reflected what he had said in Germany, something paternal in it, so much so Rodri. Listen to him and you will hear it. At times during the tournament it was tempting to see him as the tournament's de facto coach Selection. “I have always believed that the role of a midfielder is very important in terms of leadership: conceptually, tactically, what happens,” he said. “I like this role and it is the role of a midfielder should if he wants the team to work.”

He's always been like that, a natural, although at Monday's gala he told a story about how one day, when he was 17, he was ready to give it all up; He had dedicated his life to football, but he felt it dissipating and his father convinced him to carry on. “It's true that (as a child) it was easy for me to understand and read the game,” he said. “When a team was successful, I could see why, how they created space: 'This player is going to do this, this player is going to do that.'” He also listened. Ilkay Gündogan remembered how he was behind 30, 35 minutes every day in his first season at City. Not to practice, but to talk: “He was always discussing, learning and perfecting his game.”

Above all, he perfected everyone else's skills. He viewed the functioning of the collective as his task. “If you make a good choice, the team will do good things,” he said. That may not always be the role you see, even though he's hardly unknown anymore, and here comes the contradiction: there comes a moment when the fact of being “underestimated” becomes a quality for which a player is evaluated; in which humility, calm, “normalcy” catch your attention; in which analytical, intelligent and collective discourse helps an individual case – and Rodri speaks very Well, a man, you want someone you can listen to, someone you feel confident in.

Voting for him almost becomes an occasion, a duty, to restore balance as his game reflects on him: a collective decision that benefits him individually. There is something about Rodri winning the Ballon d'Or that suggests a change, a realignment of priorities where football is not just about goals or stars seeking the spotlight and being in the spotlight – even if that Melodrama surrounding Vinícius' absence suggests that this has not yet been completely overcome. Recognizing Rodri meant recognizing not just a player, but a type of player and his importance, a whole category of footballers and, belatedly, those men who could have won the Ballon d'Or earlier and perhaps should have won, rightly so for them and for the game itself. “Since I am here, I give visibility to the midfielder: he is in the shadows but today he comes into the light,” said Rodri.

Before the European Championships this summer, Álvaro Morata insisted that his team-mate would have already won the Ballon d'Or if he had sold just a little more; The university student who hasn't told everyone he's a footballer could do with speaking up. “He could have easily won it last year; “All he’s missing is marketing, that’s what I always tell him,” said Spain’s captain. “But that’s not why I play football,” Rodri replied. “He sometimes says: 'Mate, you should…' but I understand football differently. And I know how it works so I don't get frustrated. It doesn't bother me, but if one day someone wants to reward the work, that's welcome.” On Monday evening in Paris, they did.