Spaniards Rodri, Bonmati win Ballon d'Or awards

The annual Ballon d'Or ceremony took place on Monday at Theatre du Chatelet in Paris, with Spain emerging as the biggest winner of the night, reported Xinhua.

Rodri and Aitana Bonmati captured the men's and women's Ballon d'Or awards, respectively, while 17-year-old prodigy Lamine Yamal clinched the Kopa Trophy, awarded to the best young player.

The 28-year-old Rodri won the Ballon d'Or for the first time after a season in which he helped Manchester City win the Premier League and played a key role in Spain's UEFA European Championship victory.

When former Ballon d'Or winner George Weah announced Rodri's name, the Spanish midfielder covered his face in emotion.

"This is an incredible night for me," said Rodri, who attended the ceremony on crutches after an ACL injury last month sidelined him for the season. "I always strive to improve with every game I play."

Brazilian forward Vinicius Junior, considered a frontrunner for the award, finished second, followed by his Real Madrid teammates Jude Bellingham and Dani Carvajal. Real Madrid won the La Liga and UEFA Champions League titles last season, earning them the award for Men's Club of the Year, while manager Carlo Ancelotti was named Men's Coach of the Year. However, no one from Real Madrid attended the award ceremony.

Barcelona midfielder Bonmati retained her women's Ballon d'Or after an impressive season, leading Barca women to another Champions League title and a clean sweep of the domestic league, Copa de la Reina, and Spanish Super Cup titles. Barcelona women's team was also named Women's Club of the Year.

Bonmati follows in the footsteps of her teammate Alexia Putellas, who won the women's Ballon d'Or in 2021 and 2022, marking four consecutive years that Spanish players from Barcelona have claimed the women's Ballon d'Or.

The Ballon d'Or, established by France Football magazine, has been awarded to men since 1956 and to women since 2018. It is decided by votes from journalists in the top 100 countries and regions in FIFA world rankings, with each journalist selecting a top 10. The player with the highest total points wins the award. Unlike FIFA's annual awards, fan votes are not included in the Ballon d'Or process.

For the first time, UEFA participated in the Ballon d'Or voting, discontinuing their own annual Best Player in Europe award in favor of merging with the Ballon d'Or.

Yamal, who broke out at the European Championship this summer, was the undisputed recipient of the Kopa Trophy for the best player under 21. Since the start of the year, the wonderkid has been setting records, scoring five goals and providing six assists in 11 La Liga matches so far this season.

Real Madrid's French forward Kylian Mbappe and Bayern Munich's Harry Kane shared the Gerd Muller Trophy, awarded to the top club and country scorer. Aston Villa's Argentine goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez retained the Yashin Trophy as the best goalkeeper, and U.S. women's Olympic-winning coach Emma Hayes was named Women's Coach of the Year.

In addition, France Football presented a special award to the family of late German legend Franz Beckenbauer, received by his wife and son.