The Spaniard has been named as the Ballon d’Or winner for 2024, beating out Real Madrid’s Vinicius Jr.
In a surprise vote, the award went to a defensive midfielder who won the Premier League and European Championships with City and Spain respectively.
“From today on he is finally not ‘underrated’ anymore,” Gundogan stated on X.
“Congratulations to my teammate Rodri on winning the Ballon d’Or! For me this is very well deserved!
“I’m especially happy that someone in a defensive position is winning this title and not always just the offensive players!
“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!”