Rodri's Redemption: From ACL Tear to World Cup Glory, Fulfilling Guardiola's Prophecy

Champions League triumph, European Championship title, Ballon d'Or – and an ACL tear. Rodri's meteoric rise was followed by a brutal setback, which he has now definitively overcome at the World Cup, fulfilling Pep Guardiola's prophecy.

Rodri's last three years have been a rollercoaster: first, a continuous ascent to the very top, then a grueling and draining descent, and now, in the summer of 2026, he is back at the summit. And perhaps, on Sunday, he will be there once more.

In June 2023, Rodri's 1-0 winning goal in the final against Inter Milan crowned Manchester City as Champions League winners. Just over a year later, he led Spain to the European Championship title, and a few months after that, winning the Ballon d'Or recognized the midfield strategist as the best footballer in the world. However, by then, Rodri's descent had already begun.

By mid-July 2026, he can proudly say: he has become the player he was two years ago. The 2026 World Cup was always Rodri's ultimate goal – and he has made it his own. Though, he probably wouldn't want to hear it phrased that way. So, better: Rodri has made the 2026 World Cup Spain's World Cup.

The path to this point, the path to the next golden Spanish generation after Xavi, Andres Iniesta, and company, became truly arduous for Rodri in September 2024. Just over a month before he was to receive the Ballon d'Or, the midfielder suffered an ACL tear in City's Premier League match against Arsenal.

Eight months passed before the European champion could return to the pitch, with the 2024/25 season effectively over for him early on. What fueled Rodri on his tough road back was always the 2026 World Cup. The prospect of winning the world crown after the European one made the grueling effort and the long time without his best friend, the ball, at least mentally more bearable.

Rodri's World Cup dream was so significant that he aligned his entire past season around it. He accepted setbacks and new physical issues that inevitably arise after such a long layoff and a severe injury – and he was allowed to. Manchester City supported their deserving star, backing him every step of the way.

At the beginning of the 2025/26 season, Rodri struggled to find his rhythm. His knee caused problems, his thigh twinged, and he was repeatedly absent for the English top club. As public doubts about the Spaniard's fitness grew louder, City manager Pep Guardiola made a prognosis in early October 2025 that, in hindsight, appears almost frighteningly accurate: "Rodri is an incredible player. But you can't just come back after six, seven, or eight months and immediately be the player you were before – no. Do you know when he will be that player again? At the World Cup with Spain. We will see the best Rodri at the World Cup," Guardiola said about his compatriot.

Rodri and the World Cup: Disappointment at his Debut – and Will His Second Be His Last?

Guardiola's words were not mere speculation. Of course, the successful coach, who left City at the end of last season, knew Rodri's plan until the summer in detail. According to a report from the Spanish newspaper *As*, Rodri took a two-month break from late October to late December, which was agreed upon with the club.

City and Guardiola agreed to this because they considered it the most sensible solution given the complicated injury recovery of their midfield orchestrator, ensuring Rodri would be available in peak fitness for the crucial phase of the season. The Spanish international used this mid-season break to get into the best possible condition, closely monitored by doctors and rehabilitation experts, with the World Cup constantly in mind.

His burning desire for this tournament makes perfect sense upon closer inspection: in 2018, at just over 20 years old, he didn't make the squad. It wasn't until 2022 in Qatar that Rodri made his World Cup debut, expected to play a pivotal role in their success. However, the tournament turned into a disappointment, with Spain eliminated in the round of 16 by Morocco.

This made the 2026 World Cup all the more important to him, a tournament that might end with the ultimate coronation on Sunday. But it could be not only his second World Cup but also his last. In the summer of 2030, during the next World Cup, Rodri will be 34 years old – whether he can still perform at the highest level is difficult to predict so far in advance.

Rodri and Spain in the World Cup Final: The Difficult Start is Long Forgotten

At the start of the year, Rodri was back on the pitch, gradually regaining match fitness with consistently long playing times. He also returned to the national team for the test matches at the end of March after a six-month absence. It's hard to believe: in the 3-0 victory against Serbia on March 27th, Rodri was only in Spain's starting lineup for the second time since the Euro 2024 final.

National team coach Luis de la Fuente re-integrated the City star as his midfield anchor, a role Martin Zubimendi had filled quite successfully during World Cup qualifying. However, the Arsenal player has remained on the bench so far in the World Cup because captain Rodri is absolutely indispensable to the impeccably oiled Iberian machine. Even though it wasn't smooth sailing from the start.

Considering the rest of the tournament, it's almost forgotten: after the disappointing 0-0 draw against Cape Verde in their opener, Rodri, in particular, faced media criticism. The unified accusation: the 30-year-old too often slowed down the tempo. "I find it extremely insulting to say something like that about the best player in the world," said a stunned coach de la Fuente on *El Partidazo de Cope*, defending his tempo-setter: "Rodri is the focal point of this team. He has an extraordinary influence, bringing clarity, vision, and balance to our game."

Snatching a World Cup Record from Kroos, Praised by Rangnick and Hummels: Rodri's Outstanding 2026 World Cup

Just like the entire team, Rodri truly arrived at the tournament in the second group match with a clear 4-0 victory against Saudi Arabia. And after that, the 2024 Ballon d'Or winner continued to improve with each game. The clear impression was that with every 90 minutes he played, he was getting fitter and had likely reached the 100% physical freshness that allows him to perform at his highest level. And this highest level has been unmatched by anyone in North America over the past few weeks.

"I saw Rodri for the first time in a match, and it was already exceptional. I have never witnessed such a performance from a player in that position live," gushed Austria's coach Ralf Rangnick after the round of 16. Before that, Rodri had been the engine of a Spanish team that gave the Austrian team no chance in the 3-0 victory, exuding pure dominance.

Even before the semi-final against France, 2014 World Cup winner Mats Hummels named Rodri as Spain's most important player at the World Cup. "Rodri convinces me in every game. He is always reliable technically and always has the right instinct. Whenever a situation is resolved, it was Rodri," praised Hummels on *MagentaTV*. The Spanish captain is "always in the right places where he needs to defend, where he wins the ball. He runs an exceptional amount, but he also has the sense to know when and where he needs to be – and that impresses me enormously," the former German international continued.

In the 2-0 victory against France, Rodri was the outstanding player on the pitch and one of the absolutely decisive factors in preventing the highly fancied French team, featuring superstars Kylian Mbappe and Michael Olise, from ever truly getting going. Rodri directed play, won many crucial duels, and was, in his typical fashion, both a tenacious ball-winner and a clever organizer. In total, Rodri has completed 655 passes at this World Cup so far – a record in any World Cup since data collection began in 1966. Also noteworthy: after the quarter-final against Belgium (2-1), Rodri, with 62, had already matched Toni Kroos's 2014 record for the most line-breaking passes into the final third at a World Cup.

Ibrahimovic Calls Rodri an Inspiration: The Spaniard is on the Verge of Joining an Elite Circle

"Rodri was everywhere. What a player," praised Zlatan Ibrahimovic as a TV pundit on *FOX Sports* after the semi-final. The former Swedish world-class striker emphasized how significant Rodri's World Cup performances are, especially after his ACL tear: "I had the same injury in both knees. It takes time to come back because everything is new. You have to adapt, regain trust in your movements. He used the last few months in the Premier League precisely for that and is now showing at the World Cup who he is and why he won the Ballon d'Or," said Ibrahimovic.

He then perfectly described Rodri's value on the field with a vivid comparison: "He makes his teammates better. He starts fires, but he also puts them out with water."

In Sunday's World Cup final in New York/New Jersey, players like Lamine Yamal, Mikel Oyarzabal, or super-sub Mikel Merino are more likely to score goals and provide assists. But for their opponents, Argentina, their chances of success will likely increase if they manage to disrupt Rodri's influence and cut off his impact on Spain's game as much as possible.

A monumental task against a player who has raised his game to frightening levels, who, after nearly two injury-plagued years, is potentially positioning himself for a second Ballon d'Or, especially in the event of a World Cup triumph.

He already has one Golden Ball. And if he and his Spain team defeat Argentina and become world champions, he will join a very elite club: To date, only ten players, from Bobby Charlton to Franz Beckenbauer, Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldinho, or Lionel Messi, to Ousmane Dembele, have won at least one Ballon d'Or, the Champions League (or European Cup), and the World Cup. Rodri would be only the eleventh to achieve this. And he would have reached the very top once again.

Will Rodri Win the World Cup? His Career So Far

Professional Clubs	Villarreal CF (2016-2018), Atlético Madrid (2018-2019), Manchester City (since 2019)
Most Important Titles	European Champion (2024), Champions League Winner (2023), 4x Premier League Champion (2021, 2022, 2023, 2024), Club World Champion (2024), Nations League Winner (2023), FA Cup Winner (2023, 2026), U19 European Champion (2015)
International Caps	69 (4 goals)
International Debut	March 23, 2018 (1-1 draw vs. Germany)
Major Tournaments	Euro 2021 (5 appearances, semi-finals), World Cup 2022 (4 appearances, round of 16), Euro 2024 (6 appearances, European Champion), World Cup 2026 (7 appearances so far)