11 seasons into his career, Rodri has won just about everything there is to win.
He helped Manchester City to a treble in 2022/23, netting the winning goal in the Champions League Final against Inter Milan, and he also helped Spain to the Euro 2024 title, playing all but 50 minutes as La Roja triumphed over England in the final. For his efforts, he won the 2024 Ballon d’Or, becoming the third Spanish player ever to take home football’s highest individual honor.
Now, the soft-spoken defensive midfielder can add another individual prize to the mantle.
On Sunday afternoon, when Spain lifted the World Cup for the second time in its history, Rodri earned the Golden Ball award, given to the tournament’s best player. He captained La Roja throughout this tournament, serving as a connector in the midfield for the team that completed final-third passes at the highest rate. Under his tutelage, Spain had the best defense in the tournament’s history, keeping a record seven clean sheets and allowing just one goal in eight matches. That stinginess broke a record previously jointly held by the 2010 iteration of La Roja, who scored eight goals and conceded two on the way to the title.
Rodri had a quiet individual season with Manchester City, making only 21 Premier League appearances after recovering from the torn ACL that ended his 2024/25 season early, and he scored just two goals across 33 appearances in all competitions. But he stepped up when it mattered most, forever etching himself in the history books.
Lionel Messi remains the only player ever to win the Golden Ball twice, claiming it in 2014 and 2022.
