Villarreal congratulate former player Rodri on Ballon d'Or win

Rodri was announced as the 2024 Ballon d'Or winner on Monday, beating Real Madrid duo Vinicius Jr and Jude Bellingham to clinch the award at the Theatre du Chalet in Paris. Villareal took the opportunity to remind everyone of Rodri's upbringings as they congratulated the midfielder on the incredible achievements. 

"Rodrigo Hernandez Cascante (Madrid, Spain, 22 June 1996) is a brilliant footballer made in the 'Cantera Grogueta'," began the statement from the club. "He arrived at Villarreal CF in 2013 to play in the youth ranks of the yellow club, with whom he made history by winning the Champions Cup (14-15) with the Juvenil A and even won the U-19 European Championship with the Spanish national team."

"In 2015, when he was only 19, current club manager Marcelino Garcia Toral gave him his first-team debut in a 2-0 win over SD Huesca in the Copa Libertadores. That same season, he played five more games. After a great performance in the reserve team, the following season he made the leap to the first team, where he learned from club legends such as Bruno Soriano and Manu Trigueros," they added.

"In the 2017/18 campaign, Rodrigo became a regular starter at Villarreal and surprised everyone in the world of football with his performances in the 'Groguet' shirt. He made 84 appearances with the first-team. He then moved to Atletico Madrid, where he stayed for a season, before becoming one of the best players in the world at Manchester City. Although he left, he has always shown love to Villarreal, the team he considers his home. Congratulations, Rodri!" concluded the statement.

 

October 28, 2024