Rodri won the Golden Ball after posting a 93.4% passing accuracy across Spain’s seven WC games
Spain manager Luis de la Fuente has fiercely defended Manchester City’s Rodri following early criticism of the midfielder during the World Cup, insisting doubting him was “an insult to one’s footballing intelligence”, as per a new report from Spain.
Rodri entered the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America amid scrutiny about his recent injury history, with the 2024 Ballon d’Or winner having been limited by physical problems in the build-up to the tournament and some critics suggesting his inclusion in Spain ‘s squad came at the expense of a more dynamic option.
Those doubts were comprehensively answered over the course of a tournament in which the 30-year-old was the defining presence in a Spain side that went the distance, with the Manchester City midfielder posting a 93.4% passing accuracy across seven games as La Roja conceded just one goal and defeated Argentina in the final.
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His performance earned him the Golden Ball as the tournament’s best player, adding to a Ballon d’Or won in 2024 and a Champions League title as part of a glittering individual record that has established him as one of the finest midfielders in the history of the game.
Spain manager Luis de la Fuente had been at pains throughout the tournament to defend Rodri from what he regarded as unfair criticism from within Spanish football, using multiple press conferences to make his position clear – and the coach returned to the subject one final time in the aftermath of Spain’s victory.
De la Fuente: Rodri is the best player in the world in his position
Speaking to Spanish TVE , De la Fuente said: “With all due respect – and without wishing to offend anyone – I said that doubting Rodri was, quite obviously, an insult to one’s footballing intelligence,” as relayed by ESPN .
“He is the best player in the world in his position, bearing in mind that we have Martín Zubimendi behind him, who is also one of the greats, surely the second best in the world. Rodri brings clarity, vision, balance. Rodri is an inspiration for us.”
What De la Fuente’s defence tells us about Rodri’s Man City future
The global stage on which Rodri’s performances played out this summer has only deepened the complexity of his situation at the Etihad Stadium, with Real Madrid understood to have reached an agreement with the player personally as club-to-club negotiations over a fee continue.
Manchester City have communicated their asking price to Real Madrid, with the gap between the two clubs’ valuations understood to be the central obstacle in what has become one of the summer’s most consequential ongoing transfer sagas.
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De la Fuente’s words are a reminder, if any were needed, of precisely what Manchester City stand to lose should Rodri depart – and what any club gaining his signature would be adding to a squad built around a player who has just been unanimously acclaimed as the finest in the world at the tournament that matters most.
Doubting RodriSpainLuisFuenteRodriThe World CupGolden BallSpain’sManchester City’s RodriWorld CupFIFA World CupNorth America
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