Many would say Rodri carried Spain to the World Cup title on his back. Well, after winning the Golden Ball that recognizes him as the best player in the tournament, that is hard to argue. However, his literal back is having issues, and the midfielder will undergo surgery.
Enzo Maresca said, via Fabrizio Romano, that “Rodri will have surgery on a back problem on Monday. He needs holiday, he needs to rest, recovery, and then he will be back here with us.”
The severity of the injury and the return timetable is still not clear, but given that the 2026-2027 Premier League season starts on August 21, it’s likely that Rodri will miss the start of the season. After all, he also needs to rest, as Maresca said.
Maresca praised Rodri massively
A new era is beginning in the Manchester City realm, as Pep Guardiola left after a decade of high success and Enzo Maresca was appointed as his successor. Maresca learned from Guardiola, as he was his assistant, but Rodri will be key to help him replicate his mentor’s historic run.
Enzo Maresca confirms Rodri injury setback 🤕
— Match of the Day (@BBCMOTD) July 24, 2026
The midfielder will undergo surgery after picking up a slight injury with Spain at the World Cup. pic.twitter.com/EO9NRTZd2d
Maresca praised Rodri a lot, “Every manager wants to have Rodri, because he’s a top player.” Rodri was linked to Real Madrid after shining for Spain, but after hearing Maresca, he is not going anywhere.
Rodri has re-defined what soccer stardom looks like
In a day and age where flashy plays and a rockstar lifestyle rule the world, Rodri is a low-profile, efficient, and pragmatic player. He doesn’t use flashy skills, he doesn’t wear extravagant clothing, he just dominates the game with surgical precision and high IQ.
He has now won a Ballon d’Or, a World Cup, a World Cup Golden Ball, and an Euro, just to mention some of his recent accolades. Rodri has conquered soccer in a way that is not-so-popular nowadays. These are Rodri full accolades:
- 1x Ballon d’Or
- 1x Player of the Year
- 1x World Cup winner
- 1x World Cup Golden Ball
- 1x EURO
- 1x UEFA Champions League
- 4x Premier League
- 2x UEFA Supercup
- 1x UEFA Nations League
- 1x FIFA Club World Cup
- 2x English FA Cup
- 3x English League Cup
- 1x English Supercup
