Brazil coach Dorival Junior said that it was an injustice that forward Vinicius Junior did not win the Ballon d’Or this year.

Rodri becoming the first Manchester City player to win the Ballon d'Or award for the best player in the world on Monday did come as a surprise to many, and with ample reasons too as he pipped favourite Vinicius Junior of Real Madrid and Brazil to lift the most prestigious individual award in football.

"What can I say?," said the Spaniard. "First, to congratulate him and all his family and their friends, it's incredible news for him and for all of us."

While the award has been dominated by Spanish league players, no Spaniard had won since Barcelona great Luis Suarez more than 60 years ago, despite Spain's "golden generation" that won the 2010 World Cup, the 2008 and 2012 Euros.

Vinicius took to social media after finishing second in the prestigious award voting behind Spain and Manchester City midfielder Rodri.

Rodri, a first-time winner of the award, was instrumental in helping his team win an unprecedented fourth successive Premier League trophy last season. He was also named best player at this year's European Championship after Spain lifted a record-extending fourth title.

A tipping point has seemingly been reached in world football’s increasingly hectic schedule, as evidenced by the several high-profile injuries in recent weeks leading up to the latest FIFA window.

Manchester City failed to shrug off the absence of Rodri in a 1-1 draw at Newcastle as they dropped Premier League points for the second consecutive game on Saturday.

Manchester City midfielder Rodri will miss the rest of the season with a serious knee injury, dealing a huge blow to their hopes of winning a fifth straight Premier League title.

The midfielder has been in Spain this week consulting specialists after limping off midway through the first half of the match at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday after a collision with Thomas Partey.

Rodri's loss would be a huge blow to City's hopes of winning a fifth consecutive Premier League title and ambitions of reclaiming the Champions League.

Manchester City will be without Rodri for the start of their Premier League title defence after Pep Guardiola revealed the Spain midfielder has been ruled out of Sunday's opener against Chelsea.

Spanish players Alvaro Morata and Rodri have been given one-match bans for their behaviour during a Euro 2024 presentation in Madrid last month, European soccer's governing body said on Wednesday.

The players sang "Gibraltar is Spanish" on July 15, the day after they won the European Championship with a 2-1 victory over England in Berlin, during a public celebration in the Spanish capital. Gibraltar is a British territory located at the southern tip of Spain.

Euro 2024 champions Spain deserve to have one of their players win the Ballon d'Or, player of the tournament Rodri said after Sunday's 2-1 victory over England.

Spain midfielder Rodri was named the best player of Euro 2024 after helping La Roja beat England 2-1 to win the competition for a fourth time in Berlin on Sunday.

Finally handed the keys to Spain's midfield at a major tournament, Rodri Hernandez has driven the side to the verge of Euro 2024 glory.

All 51 matches will be played across 10 stadiums, marking Germany's organisation of another international football event after the 2006 World Cup.

Rodri's late equaliser extended Manchester City's year-long unbeaten record at home but a 1-1 draw against Chelsea on Saturday handed Liverpool and Arsenal a huge boost in the Premier League title race.

Goals by Rodri and Julian Alvarez in each half barely did justice to City's dominance as they enjoyed 84% possession in a routine win that at times resembled a training session.