Rodri stood on the MetLife Stadium podium in the New Jersey evening, World Cup medal around his neck, trophy raised above his head.
Less than a year on from a right ACL rupture that put his career in doubt, the now-legendary City midfielder has become the best player on the planet’s biggest stage.
Spain beat Argentina 1-0 after extra time in New Jersey, Ferran Torres settling the final in the 106th minute after a goalless 90. It was Spain’s second World Cup and their first since 2010, won against a Lionel Messi side chasing back-to-back titles.
Messi had a quiet final and was seen in tears as Spain’s players celebrated around him.
Added to the trophy collection
For Rodri, the night had something extra. He won the Golden Ball as the tournament’s outstanding player, adding a World Cup winner’s medal to the Ballon d’Or he collected in 2024 and completing his recovery from an injury that, 18 months ago, threatened to derail his career.
“This group is incredible,” Rodri said afterwards. “We are two-time world champions. It’s a tough feat, the hardest one to achieve. And we won it against a team like Argentina.”
City supporters will recognise how far he’s come to get here. Rodri’s ACL injury against Arsenal in September 2024 ruled him out for almost all of that season, and a run of hamstring and groin setbacks disrupted him for much of his time since. His return to full fitness, and now to the top of the international game, matters to City as much as it does to Spain.
Spain’s unbeaten run now stretches to 38 games, taking in the 2023 Nations League and the 2024 European Championship as well as Sunday’s final. Rodri has captained the side through all three, and his performance against Argentina — controlling the game’s tempo across 120 minutes in New Jersey heat — was widely rated as the best of the tournament.
City uncertainty
None of that, of course, settles the question of where he plays his club football next season. Rodri enters the final year of his City contract with talks over an extension still unresolved, and Real Madrid retain a long-standing interest should he choose not to sign.
Rodri himself confirmed before the final that he’d put any decision on hold until the tournament was over. A World Cup winner’s medal and the Golden Ball will not make that decision any easier for City.
For now, Rodri returns to Spain for the celebrations a second World Cup demands. What happens next — a fresh contract at the Etihad, or the end of his six years there — is a conversation City fans will be watching closely once he’s back.
