*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 14:39, 6 April 2024 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 22:28, 26 March 2024 (UTC)
Rodri is a Spain international and former youth international. He made his debut for the senior national team in 2018 and represented his country at
UEFA Euro 2020 and the
2022 FIFA World Cup. In 2023, he won the
UEFA Nations League, being named the best player of the
finals tournament.
On 4 December 2017, having already established himself as a regular, Rodri renewed his contract until 2022.[13] He scored his first goal in the
Spanish top level on 18 February 2018, the opener in a 1–1 away draw against
RCD Espanyol.[14]
Atlético Madrid
On 24 May 2018, Rodri returned to Atlético Madrid after the club reached an agreement with Villarreal for his transfer. He signed a five-year contract with the club,[15] for a fee in the region of €20 million, plus €5 million in variables.[16] He made his debut on 15 August in the
2018 UEFA Super Cup in
Tallinn, playing the first 71 minutes of a 4–2 extra-time win over
city rivalsReal Madrid.[17]
Manchester City
2019–20 season: First season in England
On 3 July 2019,
Manchester City met the terms of Rodri's £62.6 million release clause, enabling him to buy out the remainder of his contract with Atlético and leave the club. The transfer was a new record fee paid by Manchester City.[18][19] He signed a five-year contract.[20]
It was announced in October 2019 that Rodri would be out for a month due to a hamstring injury.[24] On 1 March 2020, City won the
EFL Cup at Wembley Stadium for the third consecutive time, beating
Aston Villa 2–1 in the
final. Rodri headed in City's second goal from a corner, which ultimately turned out to be the winner.[25]
2020–present: Further domestic success and continental treble
On 13 February 2021, Rodri scored City's first goal from a penalty in a 3–0 home win over
Tottenham Hotspur.[26] Over the course of the
2021–22 domestic campaign, Rodri had the highest pass completion rate of any midfielder in the Premier League, with 91.8% successful passes per 90 mins, and had proved to be integral to City's title win.[27]
On 23 September 2023, he was sent off in a Premier League match against
Nottingham Forest for lashing out at
Morgan Gibbs-White following a tussle, which sparked a melee. This was Rodri's first red card in the Premier League.[33] City went on to lose each of the three subsequent games for which he was suspended.[citation needed]
Rodri was included in
Luis Enrique's
24-man squad for
UEFA Euro 2020.[36] He made a substitute appearance in Spain's semi-final match against eventual Champions
Italy; following a 1–1 draw after extra-time, Spain were eliminated from the tournament on penalties.[37] Later that year, Rodri started in Spain's 2–1 defeat against France in the
2021 UEFA Nations League final.[38]
Rodri started in the
2023 UEFA Nations League final against
Croatia; after a goalless draw, Spain won the match on penalties, with Rodri converting his spot kick. He was named the best player of the tournament.[40][41]
Player profile
Style of play
Rodri is a physically strong and tall player. His physique helps him to frequently win tackles, challenges on opponent players, as well as aerial duels. He has a 73% success rate at tackles on opponent players,[42] and has won 100% of his aerial duels in the 2022–23 season, according to Squawka. He averages a passing accuracy of 91–92%.[42]
Rodri is further known for his versatility and tactical intelligence.[43][44][45] His intelligence on the ball allows him to recover balls and provide key, line-breaking passes.[46][47] He is known for his contributions to his team's build-up play.[47][48] Often used as an
anchor, or
water carrier, his primary role is to win back
possession in midfield and distribute the ball to start counterattacks.[44][45][48] His ability to maintain
possession under pressure allows him to perform this role effectively.[44][49]
In addition to his defensive abilities, Rodri also possesses accurate passing and vision, allowing him to operate as a
deep-lying playmaker from the heart of the
midfield.[44][45][48] In the 2023–24 season, he was involved in more sequences of play than any other player in his team or in the
Premier League.[48] He is also known for his ability to set the tempo of the game.[44][45][50]
Besides his regular position of a
holding midfielder, he has occasionally been used as a ball-playing
centre back, in particular by national team manager Luis Enrique during the 2022 World Cup.[51]
During his Manchester City tenure, he also worked to improve his goalscoring, and became known for his long-range shooting, which resulted in several goals, such as his match–winning goal from outside the box against Inter in 2023 UEFA Champions League Final.[52][53][54][55] Despite not being particularly renowned for his pace, he has been credited by pundits for his ability to catch up with much faster attackers in midfield.[44][56][57]
Reception
Many pundits currently consider Rodri to be one of the best defensive midfielders in world football.[58][59][60][61] In January 2024, members of the ESPN FC staff debated whether Rodri was in fact that best player in the world at the moment.[62][63] In March 2024, his Manchester City manager
Pep Guardiola described him as "the best midfield player, currently, in the world by far."[64] That same month, The New York Times rated him as the best player in the Premier League,[65] while former defender
Rio Ferdinand believed that Rodri was already arguably the best defensive midfielder in the league's history.[66]
Personal life
Rodri studied at university for four years to gain a degree in business administration and management.[67] At university he met his longterm girlfriend Laura, who was studying medicine.[68]
Career statistics
Club
As of match played 20 April 2024
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
^"1–3: Frenados" [1–3: Slowed down] (in Spanish). RCD Espanyol. 7 February 2015.
Archived from the original on 22 December 2015. Retrieved 18 December 2015.
^"Granero cambia la realidad" [Granero changes the reality]. Marca (in Spanish). Madrid. 18 February 2018.
Archived from the original on 26 March 2018. Retrieved 28 March 2018.