- NFL
- NBA
- MLB
- NHL
- World Cup
- Betting
- SN 140
- Archive
- NFL
- NBA
- MLB
- NHL
- Soccer
- NCAAF
- NCAAMB
- NCAAWB
- WNBA
- Boxing
- MMA
- WWE
- F1
- NASCAR
- Golf
- Tennis
- College
- High School
- Darts
- Horse Racing
- Olympics
- More Sports
- Fantasy
- Betting
- Prediction Markets
- Watch
- The Scene
- Tickets
- Stadium Guides
- United States [English]
- Argentina
- Australia
- Brasil
- Canada
- India
- 日本
- México
- 대한민국
- España
- ไทย
- United Kingdom
- United States [Español]
- Việt Nam
- About Us
- Careers
- Privacy Preferences
- Terms of Use
- Privacy Policy
- Cookie Policy
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — As the superstars delivered time after time at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the glamorous football captivated a record North American audience.
In the United States, where celebrities dominate the attention of the masses, the most popular players put on a show. Kylian Mbappe won a thrilling Golden Boot race by beating Lionel Messi, Jude Bellingham and Erling Haaland. France, England and defending champions Argentina, loaded with Premier League and Champions League talent, reached the semifinals.
It was a tournament for those who love to see dramatic goals. It was a tournament for the world's biggest names to become household icons. It was a tournament for those who swipe endlessly on Instagram, hoping to catch a glimpse of the glamorous lifestyle of a professional superstar.
And then there's Spain, champions of the World Cup's celebrity edition without any of those qualities.
WORLD CUP FINAL HQ: Live Spain vs. Argentina score | Halftime show updates | Player ratings
Rodri, Spain win with discipline not glamor
Spain as a collective scored 14 goals this entire World Cup tournament, just four more than Mbappe did by himself, but conceded just one, the fewest ever by a FIFA champion. La Roja played, essentially, without a true striker. They won the World Cup by being the best team, not having the best player.
Except, they did have the best player. Rodri, winner of the Golden Ball award for the tournament's most outstanding individual, has "completed football." He is just the second player ever, alongside Lionel Messi, to win a FIFA World Cup title, a UEFA Champions League title, a continental title, a Ballon d'Or and a World Cup Golden Ball.
Rodri does not fit in alongside the rest of the 2026 World Cup heroes, nor does Spain fit in with the other fan favorites. This team was dubbed "boring" by many fans who preferred to watch the flurry of goals in other games. Like a boa constrictor, La Roja slowly, methodically and menacingly asphyxiated their opponents, happy to wait as long as it took until there was no air left in the lungs.
At the heart of it all was Rodri, the Spanish dictator — not in the way that term has been used to refer to Mbappe, often pejoratively, but in the literal sense: one who dictates.
"For us he's very important," Marc Cucurella said after the final against Argentina. "Sometimes it's not about scoring or assisting, he controls everything. He organizes the team, he decides when we press, he decides when we attack. For us it's very important every time we are under pressure, he gives us a chance to give him the ball. He never loses the ball, and I think he deserves [the Golden Ball] because he played an amazing tournament."
For that's just it — Rodri is not the flashy superstar this tournament fell in love with. He is the calming, controlling, serene presence that all the top teams were missing. Spain suffocated France and Argentina in their final two matches because La Roja had a player who could control the match and their opponents didn't.
MORE: Complete highlights of Spain's victory against Argentina
In 99 minutes against Argentina across regulation and extra time, Rodri touched the ball 116 times, third-most of anyone in the game behind only Pau Cubarsi and Pedro Porro. He completed 101 of his 106 attempted passes and was not dispossessed a single time. He won eight of his 10 ground duels, created two chances, completed his only dribble attempt and drew three fouls. It was a masterful, all-encompassing performance that gave Spain exactly what every other nation was missing.
Control. Repeated, unbridled control.
"It's unbelievable," Cucurella said. "Since the first day we arrived here, we tried to play our football, our style. I think we started a little bit slowly in the first games, but step-by-step we improved, and I think these last two games we played amazing football. We dominated both games, we created a lot of chances, we controlled the game, we conceded nothing, so I think we played amazing football and we deserve this trophy."
MORE: Players with the most goals in World Cup history
Rodri's career achievements
It's remarkable to list out just what Rodri has achieved in his career, and yet despite all the trophies, both collective and individual, it still feels somewhat scandalous to include him amongst the other Spanish midfield icons of the 2010 team, like Xavi and Iniesta. Maybe it's because Rodri does not always stand alone, but instead feels as though he represents a collective, a system, a machine.
Rodri himself does not generate brilliance out of thin air; he is merely the tool by which Luis de la Fuente's system revolves.
And yet, as he has already been awarded one Ballon d'Or and is potentially on his way towards a second, there is only one thing for which Rodri cannot compete against the likes of Mbappe, Messi, Haaland and the other global superstars: headlines. In everything else, he has triumphed.
Rodri will never be flashy. He will never glisten on the pitch like the Spain greats who came before. He will never levitate above the grass with otherworldly brilliance like Messi. But there is no question he deserves a place beside them in history, not only as a World Cup champion but as a legend of Spain and a legend of football.
Oh, and at 30 years old, having shrugged off a potentially devastating ACL tear, there's likely more still to come.
MORE: World Cup prize money breakdown
Rodri career trophies won, titles
Rodri team trophies
Man City trophies won
Atletico Madrid trophies won
Rodri individual awards, trophies
Kyle Bonn
Kyle Bonn is a Syracuse University broadcast journalism graduate with over a decade of experience covering soccer globally. Kyle specializes in soccer tactics and betting, with a degree in data analytics. Kyle also does TV broadcasts for Wake Forest soccer, and has had previous stops with NBC Soccer and IMG College. When not covering the game, he has long enjoyed loyalty to the New York Giants, Yankees, and Fulham. Kyle enjoys playing racquetball and video games when not watching or covering sports.
Source: Sporting News
