Barcelona agree deal with Manchester City for Ballon d’Or winner Rodri

Barcelona have reached an agreement with Manchester City to sign Rodri, the 2024 Ballon d’Or winner, according to Spanish newspaper Sport.

Rodri won the award after narrowly finishing ahead of Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior in the final voting. His proposed move would make him only the second Ballon d’Or winner to join Barcelona in the club’s history, following the arrival of Johan Cruyff in 1973.

The Spain midfielder is also aiming to win the award again this year after being named the best player at the World Cup with the Spain national team.

Barcelona have previously signed only one player who had already won the Ballon d’Or before moving to the club. Cruyff claimed the prize in 1971 while playing for Ajax, before joining Barcelona in the summer of 1973.

The Dutchman went on to win the award twice more. He lifted it in 1973 and again in 1974, although both of those victories came after he had become a Barcelona player.

The other players associated with Barcelona who have won at least one Ballon d’Or were recognised either while representing the Catalan club or after leaving it.

Luis Suarez won the award in 1960, while Hristo Stoichkov was honoured in 1994. Rivaldo followed in 1999, Ronaldinho in 2005 and Lionel Messi won it six times in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015 and 2019.

In total, Barcelona players have been named the world’s best footballer by winning the Ballon d’Or 12 times. That is a record shared with Real Madrid.

The total could increase during the current season if the award goes to either Rodri or Barcelona forward Lamine Yamal.

Rodri’s potential arrival would therefore carry significance beyond the transfer itself. Barcelona would be adding a player who has already reached the highest individual level in the game before wearing the club’s colours, a distinction held by only Cruyff in the club’s previous history.

The agreement with Manchester City, as reported by Sport, would also place Rodri in line to become the latest major name to feature in Barcelona’s long list of Ballon d’Or winners. Although several players have collected the award during or after their time at the club, Cruyff remains the only footballer signed by Barcelona who had already won it before completing his move.

Barcelona’s record of 12 awards has been built across different generations, from Suarez and Cruyff through to Stoichkov, Rivaldo, Ronaldinho and Messi. The club could now add another chapter if Rodri, or Lamine Yamal, is selected as the winner this season.