Spain and Manchester City midfielder Rodri won the Ballon d'Or award for the best player in the world on Monday, beating Brazil's Vinicius Jr and England's Jude Bellingham, both of Real Madrid, to the prestigious prize.
Barcelona's Spain midfielder Aitana Bonmati won the women's award for a second time.
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.
The annual Ballon d'Or ceremony took place on Monday at Theatre du Chatelet in Paris.
The 28-year-old Madrid native is the first defensive midfielder to win the Ballon d'Or since Lothar Matthaus in 1990 and the third Spaniard to claim the prize after Alfredo Di Stefano (1957 and 1959) and Luis Suarez (1960).
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.
Sherfane Rutherford struck an unbeaten half-century and Gudakesh Motie produced a brilliant display of spin bowling as West Indies thumped England by 30 runs in a Twenty20 World Cup Group C encounter on Wednesday.
Australia launched their Twenty20 World Cup campaign with a commanding 67-run victory over Ireland in Colombo on Wednesday, powered by four-wicket hauls from Nathan Ellis and Adam Zampa.
Tottenham Hotspur have sacked manager Thomas Frank after eight months in charge, the Premier League club said on Wednesday, after a woeful run of results left the north London club hovering five points above the relegation zone.
South Africa survived Kagiso Rabada's final-over meltdown against Afghanistan and then a double Super Over drama before prevailing in a heart-stopping Group D match of the Twenty20 World Cup on Wednesday.
Pakistan opener Sahibzada Farhan has hit a swift half-century as the 2009 champions comfortably beat the US by 32 runs on Tuesday, clinching their second straight Group A win in the Twenty20 World Cup.