Manchester City midfielder Rodri paraded his Ballon d'Or trophy around the Etihad before his side's match against Tottenham on Saturday evening.
The Spaniard controversially lifted the trophy at the end of last month ahead of Real Madrid striker Vinicius Jr., becoming the first Premier League player to do so since 2008 when Cristiano Ronaldo won the title.
It resulted in Real Madrid boycotting the ceremony as a whole, with neither Vinicius nor third-placed Jude Bellingham present in France when the award was announced.
A number of stars expressed their displeasure at the announcement, but Rodri nevertheless embraced the victory despite his season being effectively over. In September he suffered a cruciate ligament injury, which kept him out of action for a number of months.
Yet he was all smiles as he lifted the trophy and again as he walked onto the Etihad pitch before kick-off on Saturday evening and showed off his trophy to those on the ground.
The presentation was accompanied by a light show, in which 'Rodri' and 'Ballon d'Or 2024' were projected onto the field. He was also greeted by partner Laura Iglesias, with the two sharing a kiss.
An object with the midfielder's name on it lit up behind Rodri and he couldn't contain his joy as he waved to those in attendance, wearing an all-black suit.
He punched the air, kissed his trophy and waved to the fans as they cheered him on.
The 28-year-old also reentered the field of play just before kick-off, just after his manager, Pep Guardiola, made his entrance to a raucous reception having just signed his new contract extension.
His teammates who started playing gave him a guard of honor, with each player congratulating him again before leaving the field. Erling Haaland seemed to joke that he should stay on the pitch.
Rodri was part of the City team that won the Treble in the 2022-2023 season, but also played an important role in the team that won the Premier League for the fourth time in a row last season.
He also won the Player of the Tournament award at Euro 2024 after helping Spain become champions with victory over England in the final.
'If I have to, I'll do it ten times. They are not ready,” Vinicus posted on X, hinting at future successes and breaking his silence when he was rejected for the award. He was a heavy favorite to win the title after his epic contribution that led Madrid's frontline to a LaLiga-Champions League double.
The Brazilian, 24, has scored six goals and four assists in 10 Champions League appearances and has 20 goals in 26 La Liga appearances.
But Rodri himself has proven crucial to City's success. With him at their side, they have lost 2.6 percent of games since February 2023, compared to the 33.3 percent lost without him.
Things have been tough since his last appearance two months ago, with City second in the Premier League but five points behind leaders Liverpool.
They have also lost their last four games in all competitions, including one in the League Cup, two in the Premier League and one in the Champions League.
Things got even worse on Saturday when they fell behind 2-0 early at home to Tottenham in the Premier League.
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