The 2024 Ballon d'Or winner — Manchester City's defensive midfielder and the best in the world at his position.
Rodrigo Hernández Cascante was born in Madrid, Spain in 1996. Atlético Madrid developed him before Manchester City paid £62.8 million for him in 2019. His five City seasons have produced four Premier League titles and the 2023 Champions League. He won Euro 2024 with Spain — his fourth European Championship — and the Nations League in 2021. He was awarded the 2024 Ballon d'Or — the first defensive midfielder to win the award since Lothar Matthäus in 1991 — recognition for a season of consistent excellence at both club and international level. His pass completion rate — consistently above 93% in the Premier League — his defensive positioning and his ability to dictate tempo have made him the most impactful holding midfielder in European football. A serious knee injury sustained in September 2024 ended his season. His award was described by many analysts as the clearest evidence of the growing analytical recognition of defensive contribution — his importance to both City and Spain was demonstrably irreplaceable.
Champions League (2023)
Career Honours
- Champions League (2023)
- Premier League 4x
- Euro (Spain 2024)
- Nations League (2021)
- Ballon d'Or (2024)