Rodri faced unexpected criticism after Spain's opening World Cup match—a goalless draw against Cape Verde—but five weeks and six consecutive wins later, he has emphatically silenced doubters. The Manchester City midfielder has been the heartbeat of La Roja's run to the final, proving his manager right and delivering on a prediction made by his former club boss. After that frustrating opener, detractors labelled Rodri slow and responsible for the dropped points. Spain head coach Luis de la Fuente launched an impassioned defence. De la Fuente’s fierce defence
"It seems incredibly insulting to me that people would say that about the best player in the world," said De la Fuente. "Would people say that about others who are considered the best? I don't think they would dare. But because he's Spanish, we say things about our own that we wouldn't about others. Rodri is the best player in the world. Even at 50 per cent, he is better than most other midfielders. He brings clarity, vision, balance. Rodri is an inspiration for us."
Guardiola’s prescient October prophecy
Rodri entered the tournament on the back of a difficult domestic season, still regaining his best form after an anterior cruciate ligament injury. In October, Pep Guardiola had forecast a resurgence on the grandest stage.
"I said to him, and he maybe struggled to understand, it's not about six, seven, eight months out, then playing and being the Rodri of before. No. Do you know when Rodri will be good? At the World Cup with Spain. At the World Cup he will be the best Rodri."
That prophecy has been fulfilled with startling accuracy. Across seven matches, Rodri has completed a record 655 passes—the most by any player in recorded World Cup history. His 62 line-breaking passes into the final third match a mark set by Toni Kroos in 2014, and he ranks among the top chance creators for Spain.
Rodri at the 2026 World Cup (as of semi-final):
Passes completed: 655 (tournament record)
Line-breaking passes into final third: 62 (joint-most since Toni Kroos in 2014)
Tackles: Second-most at the tournament
Duels won vs France: 11 out of 15 (including 4/4 aerials)
Minutes played: 627 out of a possible 630
His influence goes beyond the numbers. Former Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel noted on The Rest Is Football:
"Every time you see him, he's always showing up for the ball. It doesn't matter whether he makes a mistake, he's always available."
Defensively, Rodri has been equally vital, helping Spain concede just one goal en route to the final. In the semi‑final against France, he dominated all phases of play, winning 11 of 15 duels and all four aerial challenges.
The final test
Spain now face Argentina in Sunday’s showpiece, and the clarity, vision and balance De la Fuente lauded will be essential. Rodri’s professionalism—honed since his youth days under Paco López at Villarreal B—has enabled him to shoulder immense physical and tactical demands. His readiness to take responsibility on the ball and his unerring positional discipline make him the lynchpin of a team that has married collective strength with individual brilliance.
For further reading, see the original analysis on Sky Sports.
