"At the World Cup we will see the best Rodri." Guardiola said that on October 3. Standing in Dallas after Rodri's midfield masterclass dismantled France in the semifinal, it's hard to argue with the man.
This wasn't accidental form. Rodri ran the entire season as a training block with trophies attached. Six months removed from knee surgery, he voluntarily sat out 10 matches — from the Champions League group stage until the end of 2025 — to ensure he arrived at this tournament with a full tank rather than a patched-up one. That's the kind of long-game thinking most players don't have the discipline or the leverage to pull off.
What he sacrificed — and what City paid for it
Manchester City paid the price for that absence. They lost ground in the Premier League during those 10 games and were knocked out of the Champions League before Rodri was truly back to his best. Even operating at roughly 60% — their words, effectively — he still helped them to the Carabao Cup and FA Cup. That detail tends to get lost in the World Cup narrative.
But this was always Spain's story. De la Fuente never wavered. When questions surfaced about whether Zubimendi had overtaken Rodri as the midfield anchor, Rodri answered them himself in the March friendlies before anyone had to make the argument for him.
The France game settled the conversation
His numbers against France are worth sitting with: 82 touches, 87% pass accuracy, four tackles, 12 kilometres covered, 100% aerial duels won. Tournament-leading distance of 83.47 kilometres. Zlatan Ibrahimović, not known for handing out compliments casually, said simply: "He was everywhere. Today football won."
Others brought Messi, Mbappé, and Kane. Spain brought their Ballon d'Or winner running on a full year's worth of calculated preparation.
If Spain win this tournament, the odds will look obvious in hindsight. They had the best-prepared player on the pitch, and they built their system around him. That's not luck — that's a plan that actually worked.
