As a student at Castellón University, Rodrigo Hernández lived in a resident hall and studied commerce. He described himself as “the lame one who never did anything.” He would never do anything after hours, but he might go out to dinner and maybe even stop by the bar for a quick drink. It wasn’t clear to the majority of his classmates until they watched him play for Villarreal.
At age 28, he was selected the world’s finest football player and became the first Spaniard to win the Ballon d’Or since Luis Suárez 64 years earlier. At 19, he had remained silent and no one knew he was a football player. In a way, this was a just act on a day filled with cries of injustice: to Rodri, but also to a type of player and person, to an idea, to a concept; to collectivism personified by an individual, perhaps even to football itself.
“He will win it very soon” – Rodri tags Yamal as future Ballon d’Or winner
Ballon d’Or 2024 winner Rodri, a midfielder, stated the honour is “a reward for all Spanish football” and recalled “so many Spaniards who have not won it and deserved it,” mentioning Sergio Busquets, Andres Iniesta, and Xavi Hernandez. In addition, the City and Spain national team player recalled Lamine Yamal and Daniel Carvajal, saying that the latter “deserved it as much” as he did and that “he will win it very soon, keep working hard, you have everything above you.”
