Rodri will join an elite group of players if he captains Spain to World Cup glory this summer.
Spain’s midfield lynchpin played a starring role as the European champions blunted France in the first semi-final to win 2-0 and reach their first World Cup final since lifting the trophy in 2010.
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Rodri can join star-studded list
And while La Roja are now just one win away from being crowned world champions for the second time, their skipper is on the verge of even more greatness.
Only 10 players have ever won the Ballon d’Or, the Champions League (or European Cup) and the World Cup.
Rodri will become the eleventh to join that list if Spain beat the winners of Wednesday’s second semi between England and Argentina in the final.
And it’s not outlandish to think he will do it seeing as he is back to the form that won him the Ballon d’Or in 2024 having helped City to a treble the season before.
France star Ousmane Dembele was the most recent to complete the set, scooping his first Ballon d’Or last year – after Rodri did likewise in 2024.
Dembele follows Kaka, Ronaldinho, Rivaldo – all three of whom helped Brazil to 2002 World Cup success – Lionel Messi and Zinedine Zidane in achieving all three honours in the Champions League era.
Prior to the rebranding of the European Cup, England and Manchester United icon Bobby Charlton was the first member of the exclusive club.
Charlton was followed by Germany greats Franz Beckenbauer and Gerd Muller, and Italy legend Paolo Rossi.
Rodri clinched the Ballon d’Or in 2024, having lost just one game for club and country across the 2023/24 campaign, winning an historic fourth straight Premier League title with Manchester City and triumphing at the Euros with Spain.
He became the first Spanish recipient of the award since Luis Suarez in 1961.
Rodri rages about rough treatment
Triple Crown winners
A select group of winners have claimed all three…
Bobby Charlton (England)
Franz Beckenbauer (Germany)
Gerd Muller (Germany)
Paolo Rossi (Italy)
Zinedine Zidane (France)
Rivaldo (Brazil)
Ronaldinho (Brazil)
Kaka (Brazil)
Lionel Messi (Argentina)
Ousmane Dembele (France)
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While he expressed his pride after Spain’s win over France, Rodri was not happy about the way the game was refereed.
El Salvador’s Ivan Barton was the man in the middle for the Dallas clash.
“I’m very proud of my team and what it [the win] represents for us,” Rodri said.
“Now it’s time to rest because we probably have the most important match of our lives on Sunday.”
Rodri then turned his attention to the officiating, feeling Lamine Yamal has not been getting enough protection.
“It’s obvious,” the 30-year-old continued. “We’ve been dealing with this situation for three games now – there have been too many fouls.
“We’re talking about 10 or 15 fouls where the kid [Yamal] goes to the ground. If the referees do not call them then the defence will keep doing the same thing.”
