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Ilkay Gundogan has hailed his Manchester City teammate Rodri for winning the 2024 Ballon d'Or.
Former Manchester City captain Gundogan took to X to praise Rodri, saying:
"From today on, he is finally not 'underrated' anymore. Congratulations to my teammate Rodri on winning the Ballon d'Or! For me, this is very well deserved!
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"I'm especially happy that someone in a defensive position is winning this title and not always just the offensive players!"
He continued: "Rodri is the perfect midfielder and there's no one that plays his position better than he does – there are so many clubs in Europe that are looking for a world-class holding midfielder, but in the end, there's only him! What a development in recent years!"
Rodri's impressive season, which included winning the Premier League title and UEFA Super Cup with Manchester City, as well as Spain's Euro 2024 victory, cemented his status as the world's best player.
His stats for last season include nine goals and 14 assists in 50 matches for Pep Guardiola's side.
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