Spain captain Rodri has been named the best player of the 2026 FIFA World Cup after guiding his country to victory in Sunday’s final at the New York/New Jersey Stadium.
The Manchester City midfielder claimed the top individual prize ahead of Lionel Messi, who finished the tournament with eight goals and four assists.
Rodri, 30, was the driving force in Spain’s midfield throughout the competition. He controlled the pace of play and helped Luis De La Fuente’s team lift the trophy. He also set a new World Cup record for completed passes, making 692 successful passes from 729 attempts for a 94 percent success rate.
According to FIFA, Rodri also recorded 919 high-intensity runs during the tournament, the highest total by any player at the 2026 World Cup.
Spain also swept the other major individual awards. Pau Cubarsi won the Young Player of the Year award, while Unai Simon received the Golden Glove.
Cubarsi played a key role in a defence that kept seven clean sheets, while Simon let in just one goal during the tournament.
It is the second World Cup in a row that players from the winning nation have claimed all three major individual awards, following Argentina’s achievement at the 2022 tournament.
