A golden blow for Barcelona with Rodri

Barcelona have struck an agreement with Manchester City to sign Rodri, the man who pipped Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior to the 2024 Ballon d'Or in the closing moments.

According to "Sport", Rodri will become only the second Ballon d'Or winner to join Barcelona in the club's entire history, following Johan Cruyff in 1973.

Named the best player at the World Cup with Spain, Rodri is also chasing back-to-back Ballon d'Or crowns this year.

Only one player has arrived at Barcelona already holding the Ballon d'Or, and that is Cruyff, who claimed it in 1971 as an Ajax player.

Cruyff joined Barcelona in the summer of 1973 and won the award twice more. The first came that same year, the second in 1974, both as a Barcelona player.

Every other player with at least one Ballon d'Or in his cabinet won it either while playing for Barcelona or after leaving the Catalan club.

Besides Cruyff, the list of players who lifted the award in a Barcelona shirt reads: Luis Suarez (1960), Hristo Stoichkov (1994), Rivaldo (1999), Ronaldinho (2005) and Lionel Messi (2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015 and 2019).

Barcelona have now had one of their players crowned the world's best 12 times, a record they share with Real Madrid.

That tally could climb this season if the award goes to Rodri or Lamine Yamal.