Spain defeated France today, with a dominant 2-0 win in their FIFA World Cup semifinal clash. With a place in Sunday’s final, La Roja are returning to the world’s biggest stage for the first time in 16 years. One of Spain’s standout players of the tournament has been 2024 Ballon d’Or winner Rodri. The Manchester City midfield played a crucial role in Spain’s Euro 2024 title campaign, but everything changed when he tore his ACL on September 22 of that year against Arsenal in Premier League action.
Rodri was sidelined for exactly eight months and returned to action on May 20, 2025, in preparation for the Club World Cup. Returning from his severe knee injury, he appeared in the group stage of the competition, making appearances against Wydad AC and Al Ain, and started in their Group G decider against Juventus. City were eventually eliminated by Al Hilal in the Round of 16, giving the Spanish midfielder some time off before the full 2025-26 season.
During this past season, Rodri spent several periods on the sidelines due to injuries. He missed the start of the Premier League season due to a fitness setback in preseason. He then missed an extended period from October to December with a hamstring injury, before missing the end of the season with a groin issue. Rodri played in only 21 Premier League games and just 33 games across all competitions.
With fitness being an issue throughout the season, Pep Guardiola knew it would take a while for Rodri to find his best form again.
A Flawless Tournament
Rodri has been great throughout the tournament, playing a key role in Spain’s seven games so far. Below are some of his stats at the World Cup:
- 794 touches (1st)
- 694 passes (1st)
- 52.1 miles ran (1st)
- 93% passing accuracy
- 40 forced turnovers (8th)
Next up for Rodri is the biggest match of his career: the World Cup final.
