Spanish soccer dominates: A clean sweep at the Ballon d'Or awards
Spanish soccer has once again proven its global dominance. Seven out of ten awards handed out at Monday's Ballon d'Or ceremony in Paris went to players associated with this country. It's a real knockout and evidence that La Roja dominated the world of soccer last season.
Spanish players and clubs dominated this year's Ballon d'Or ceremony. In the men's category, the Ballon d'Or went to Rodri, a Spanish midfielder for Manchester City. Second and third place went to Real Madrid players Brazilian Vinicius Junior and Englishman Jude Bellingham. Another Spaniard, Dani Carvajal, also representing "Los Blancos," took fourth place.
In the women's category, the entire podium was filled by FC Barcelona players. The winner was Spaniard Aitana Bonmatí; second place went to Norwegian Caroline Graham Hansen, and third to another Spaniard, Salma Paralluelo. Additionally, Jennifer Hermoso was honoured with the Socrates Award for social engagement, and FC Barcelona was recognized as the best women's club.
Spanish clubs triumphed not only in the awards. Real Madrid was recognized as the best men's team of the year, and the coach of "Los Blancos," Italian Carlo Ancelotti, received the title of best coach. Lamine Yamal from Barcelona was distinguished as the best young player.
These successes reflect the achievements of Spanish teams in recent months. The Spanish men's national team won the European Championship, becoming the sole record holder with four titles. Their younger counterparts also triumphed in the Under-19 European Championship. The Spanish women's national team won the World Cup, and the Under-19 and Under-17 teams won the European Championship in their age categories.
"Unstoppable" - comments after the Ballon d'Or ceremony
Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez commented that Spanish soccer is unstoppable. As noted by the Polish Press Agency, these successes confirm not only the football talent of the Spaniards but also the high quality of their coaches.
Spanish coaches lead top European clubs. In the English Premier League, Josep Guardiola manages Manchester City, Mikel Arteta leads Arsenal London, and Unai Emery heads Aston Villa. In the German league, Xabi Alonso led Bayer Leverkusen to a historic championship and won the German Cup. Luis Enrique is at the helm of Paris Saint-Germain, the current national champion in France.
Spanish media described the Paris ceremony as a "great celebration of Spanish soccer." Everything indicates that Spain's dominance in the world of soccer will continue for a long time.
