Manchester City and Spain midfielder Rodri is on the verge of joining an exclusive club of just 10 players if he is able to win in back to back finals for Spain. Following the dismantling of France in the semi finals, Spain are just potentially 90 minutes of football away from making history in United States.
Rodri spoke on the importance of win while looking ahead to the final on Sunday: “I’m very proud of my team and what it [the win] represents for us... Now it’s time to rest because we probably have the most important match of our lives on Sunday.”
What Is Football's Triple Crown?
Only 10 players in history have ever won the World Cup, Ballon d’Or and Champions League (or formally European Cup).
France and Paris Saint-Germain's Ousmane Dembele was the most recent player to be introduced to the exclusive club. Bobby Charlton, Franz Beckenbauer, Gerd Muller, Paolo Rossi, Zinedine Zidane, Rivaldo, Ronaldinho, Kaka and Lionel Messi all preceded the Frenchman to win the Triple Crown.
Why Rodri Has Dominated The 2026 World Cup
Despite an injury riddled past two seasons which has seen the Spanish captain play just 1,586 minutes in the last two Premier League campaigns, the former Atletico Madrid midfielder has returned to his Ballon d’Or winning form.
During this World Cup, the 30-year-old has attempted 705 passes. Out of those 705 passes, 93% have found a teammate. With still a game left at this World Cup, Rodri has set the record for most completed passes at a World Cup with 655. Nobody has ever completed that many passes at a World Cup ever but how did he do it?
The midfielder has excelled throughout his career by using his IQ. Rodri, like De Bruyne and so many other elite players see the game 5 steps ahead.
The Spaniard uses his footballing IQ to retain the ball. Rodri has been disposed just 4 times all tournament which just shows how well his ball retention is when pressed.
The Spaniard also averages 113.97 touches per 90 which displays his confidence on the ball in the highest pressure moments with the World's best players around him. He is doing this all after an ACL injury towards the end of his career.
However it isn't just offensively where Rodri excels, he is also an elite defender. With a staggering 4 aerial duels won, 4 tackles, 2 clearances, 2 recoveries in the semi-final clash against favourites France, Rodri displayed he is an elite player on both sides of the ball.
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What Young Midfielders Can Learn From Rodri
For young players there are a few key attributes that Rodri possesses that every defensive midfielder should learn. First would be to become confident with the ball at their feet. Rodri is the perfect example of poise on the ball. He rarely gives the ball away with the ball at his feet and with the ball in the air he finds his teammate over 90% of the time.
The second attribute for young players to learn from Rodri is the awareness before the ball has come into him. When watching Rodri, he is constantly scanning to get an image of the pitch and space around him. This enables him to be able to then stay steps ahead of play and the opposition.
The third attribute that young players should learn from Rodri is his patience. A lot of young players think the attacking passes have to be made immediately and it results in turnovers and a lack of confidence.
To develop the skill of patience as Rodri possess, it all stems from the previous attributes. By Rodri scanning and knowing he can keep the ball at his feet, he gives himself more time to make a decision and thus make the right decision.
This enables him to retain the ball for his side and create great chances as he has done throughout his career.
