I want to thank myself – Rodri reflects on path from injury to World Cup glory

By Simon Peach, Press Association Chief Football Writer, New York New Jersey

Rodri hopes to have inspired others to “rise again” having fought back from a significant knee injury to captain Spain to World Cup glory and be crowned player of the tournament.

The 30-year-old midfielder was hit by ligament damage in innocuous circumstances in September 2024 – just a month before being named Ballon d’Or winner – and returned the following May.

Rodri, in truth, lacked the same quality and influence when he resumed playing for Manchester City, whose then boss Pep Guardiola later admitted he had come back too quickly.

The Premier League runners-up may not have seen the best of him but he has sparkled this summer, collecting the Golden Ball as the World Cup’s best performer having led Spain to a 1-0 extra-time win in Sunday’s final against Argentina.

“We’re a bit shocked right now, even myself,” Rodri told Fox Sports. “I cannot express with words. I think now we’re like in a cloud but, for me, it’s been a very tough time.

“I just want the new generations to see my example as an opportunity. When you go down, you can rise again. This is my philosophy for my entire life.

“Of course, sometimes things go well, things go wrong, but always the positiveness.

“I said to the lads before the game, ‘we have to go for the game’. We need to face them, we have to look to their eyes. We want this game.

“And then life gives you the World Cup or not, but we were brave and I was brave in that moment I was down, so I want to thank all the people that helped me.

“But I want to thank myself, to be honest, in those moments.”

Rodri, whose City contract expires next summer, helped Spain to their second men’s World Cup title having playing an important role in their Euro 2024 triumph.

“I think the gap of improvement from the Euros, it was the way this team is matured,” the Spain skipper said.

“It’s built on the game, it’s built on every single day. We faced very different opponents, of course, lots of European opponents, but different moments, different type of games.

“And we managed to play all of them, so I think we grow in this sense and this talks about a generation that is making history for our country, as you can see, but also in the way we did it.”