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Rodri

Rodri playing for Spain in 2019
Personal information
Full name	Rodrigo Hernández Cascante
Date of birth	(1996-06-22) 22 June 1996 (age 28)
Place of birth	Madrid, Spain
Height	1.90 m (6 ft 3 in)
Position(s)	Defensive midfielder
Team information
Current team	Manchester City
Number	16
Youth career
2006–2007	Rayo Majadahonda
2007–2013	Atlético Madrid
2013–2015	Villarreal
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2015–2016	Villarreal B	39	(1)
2015–2018	Villarreal	63	(1)
2018–2019	Atlético Madrid	34	(3)
2019–	Manchester City	174	(22)
International career
2012	Spain U16	2	(0)
2015	Spain U19	8	(0)
2017	Spain U21	6	(1)
2018–	Spain	57	(4)
Medal record Men's football Representing  Spain UEFA European Championship Winner 2024 Germany Team UEFA Nations League Winner 2023 Netherlands Team Runner-up 2021 Italy Team UEFA European Under-21 Championship Runner-up 2017 Poland Team UEFA European Under-19 Championship Winner 2015 Greece Team
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 21:32, 22 September 2024 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 23:21, 8 September 2024 (UTC)

Rodrigo Hernández Cascante (born 22 June 1996), known as Rodri or Rodrigo, is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for Premier League club Manchester City and the Spain national team. Known for his passing, playmaking and physical attributes, he is widely regarded as one of the best players in the world.

After short stints with Villarreal and Atlético Madrid in La Liga, Rodri joined Premier League club Manchester City in 2019. He helped the team win four consecutive league titles in the 2020–21, 2021–22, 2022–23, and 2023–24 seasons. In the 2022–23 season, he was an integral part of the team which claimed a historic continental treble. This treble included City's first UEFA Champions League title, with Rodri scoring the only goal in the final, being named the tournament's Player of the Season.

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, the 2022 FIFA World Cup and Euro 2024. He won the UEFA Nations League in 2023, being named the best player of the finals tournament, and was an integral part in Spain's victory at Euro 2024, for which he was named Player of the Tournament.

Rodri has won several individual awards, most notably the 2024 Ballon d'Or. He became the second male Spanish player to achieve this feat after Luis Suárez, who did so in 1960. He was also the first Manchester City player to win the award.

Club career

Early life and career

Rodrigo Hernández Cascante was born on 22 June 1996 in Madrid. He joined Atlético Madrid's youth setup in 2007 aged 11, from CF Rayo Majadahonda. Released in 2013 due to a "lack of physical strength", he subsequently signed with Villarreal.

On 7 February 2015, while still a junior, Rodri made his senior debut for the reserves, coming on as a late substitute in a 3–1 away win against RCD Espanyol B in the Segunda División B. He was handed his first start 15 days later, in a 2–0 victory at Real Zaragoza B.

Rodri made his first-team debut on 17 December 2015, starting in a 2–0 home win against SD Huesca for that season's Copa del Rey. His first La Liga appearance was on 17 April 2016, when he came on as a second-half substitute for Denis Suárez in a 2–1 away loss to Rayo Vallecano.

On 4 December 2017, having already established himself as a regular, Rodri renewed his contract until 2022. 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.

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, for a fee in the region of €20 million, plus €5 million in variables. 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 rivals Real Madrid.

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. He signed a five-year contract.

Rodri made his debut in the 2019 FA Community Shield on 4 August at Wembley Stadium, playing the full 90 minutes as City won on penalties against Liverpool after a 1–1 draw. He made his Premier League debut against West Ham United six days later in a 5–0 away win, and on 14 September he scored his first goal in a 3–2 away defeat against Norwich City.

It was announced in October 2019 that Rodri would be out for a month due to a hamstring injury. 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.

2020–present: Premier League 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. During the 2021–22 domestic campaign, Rodri had a pass completion count of 82.0 per 90 minutes and a pass completion rate of 91.8% over the course of the whole season. These numbers put Rodri at the top of all midfielders in the Premier League in both categories. Multiplying those two numbers together reveals that on average, Rodri attempted one pass every 60.5 seconds of the season, leading all Premier League midfielders in that category too, with only Liverpool's Thiago coming close.

On 12 July 2022, Rodri agreed to extend his contract with Manchester City until 2027. On 11 April 2023, he scored his first UEFA Champions League goal in a 3–0 home win over Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals first leg. On 10 June, he scored the only goal in the Champions League final against Inter Milan, securing City's win for their first title in the competition, and completing the continental treble. Rodri was named player of the match, and was selected as the tournament's Player of the Season.

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. City went on to lose each of the three subsequent games (against Wolverhampton Wanderers, Arsenal, and Newcastle) for which he was suspended. After his fifth yellow card against Tottenham, Rodri was suspended as City went on to lose the game again – that time against Aston Villa.

On 19 May 2024, Rodri would score a decisive goal into the bottom corner to ensure Manchester City's 3–1 win over West Ham United on the last match day of the season; City's victory saw them become the first club in English history to lift the league trophy in four consecutive seasons. Additionally, he reached his 50th consecutive undefeated Premier League match with his club, placing him second only to Sol Campbell with 56 games.

On 22 September 2024, Rodri was withdrawn in the first half of Manchester City's 2–2 draw with Arsenal, due to what was later confirmed to be an ACL and meniscus injury, ruling him out for the remainder of the 2024–25 season. In October 2024, he was awarded the 2024 Ballon d'Or.

International career

After playing for Spain at under-16, under-19 and under-21 levels, Rodri was first selected by the full side on 16 March 2018 for two friendlies with Germany and Argentina. He made his debut five days later, replacing Thiago Alcântara late in the 1–1 draw against Germany in Düsseldorf.

2018–2021: UEFA Nations League and UEFA Euro 2020

After missing out on selection for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, Rodri was named in Spain's squad for their first two UEFA Nations League fixtures against England and Croatia in September 2018. After being an unused substitute in the first match at Wembley Stadium, he made his competitive debut as a 59th minute substitute for Sergio Busquets in the 6–0 win over Croatia on 11 September. A month later, Rodri made his first start for Spain in a 4–1 friendly win over Wales in Cardiff and was named man of the match by the BBC.

Rodri played in seven of Spain's ten matches during UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying, starting in five.

On 17 November 2020, Rodri scored his first senior international goal in Spain's 6–0 defeat of Germany in their final group phase match of the 2020–21 UEFA Nations League. The win in Seville ensured La Roja would finish top of Group 4 and qualify for the 2021 UEFA Nations League Finals in Italy.

In June 2021, he was included in Luis Enrique's 24-man squad for the postponed UEFA Euro 2020 finals. In the absence of captain Sergio Busquets due to COVID-19, Rodri started the team's first two matches of the tournament as they drew 0–0 with Poland and 1–1 with Sweden. With Busquets' return for the final Group E match against Slovakia, Rodri was an unused substitute in the 5–0 win that secured Spain's place in the knockout stage. In the round of 16 match against Croatia, Rodri replaced Busquets in the 102nd minute as the team won 5–3 after extra time. He again appeared as a substitute in the quarter-final draw with Switzerland, coming on for Pedri in the final minute of extra time ahead of the penalty shootout. Although Rodri's kick was saved by Swiss goalkeeper Yann Sommer, Spain won the shootout 4–2 to reach the semi-final. Rodri appeared as a 70th-minute substitute for Koke as Spain drew 1–1 with Italy in the semi-final, losing 4–2 in the penalty shootout.

In October 2021, Rodri was included in Spain's squad for the Nations League finals. On 10 October, he started in Spain's 2–1 defeat against France in the final, playing 84 minutes at the San Siro in Milan.

2022–2023: 2022 FIFA World Cup and 2023 UEFA Nations League

Rodri was included in Spain's squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup and was utilised as a central defender. He played the full 90 minutes in Spain's three Group E matches, where they won 7–0 against Costa Rica, drew 1–1 with Germany and lost 2–1 to Japan. In the round of 16, he played 120 minutes of the team's 0–0 draw with Morocco, as La Roja were eliminated after losing 3–0 in the penalty shootout.

After the international retirement of Sergio Busquets on 16 December 2022, Rodri succeeded him as Spain's midfield pivot. On 28 March 2023, he captained the team for the first time in their second UEFA Euro 2024 qualifier, where they lost 2–0 to Scotland at Hampden Park.

In June 2023, Rodri was named as Player of the Finals for the 2023 UEFA Nations League Finals. He started in both the semi-final against Italy and the final against Croatia, the latter of which Spain won via a penalty shootout, with Rodri scoring his spot kick. He was named the best player of the tournament.

On 26 March 2024, Rodri captained Spain for the second time in a friendly match against Brazil. He scored his second and third senior international goals in the 3–3 draw, both from penalty kicks.

UEFA Euro 2024

In June 2024, Rodri was named in Spain's squad for UEFA Euro 2024 in Germany. In the team's final warm-up match – a 5–1 win over Northern Ireland in Mallorca – he won his 50th cap for Spain.

In the team's opening match of the tournament, he played 86 minutes before being substituted for Martin Zubimendi as La Roja beat Croatia 3–0 at Berlin's Olympiastadion.

Rodri helped Spain reach and win the UEFA Euro 2024 final with an outstanding tournament performance, as he was awarded the best player of the tournament. Spain defeated England 2–1 to secure their fourth European championship. In addition, he became one of 12 players who won both youth and senior Euro titles, alongside his teammates Nacho, Ferran Torres, Álvaro Morata and Mikel Merino.

During Spain's celebrations of their Euro 2024 victory over England, Rodri and Spanish captain Álvaro Morata were filmed chanting "Gibraltar is Spanish". The chants were labelled "rancid", "discriminatory" and "hugely offensive to Gibraltarians" by the Government of Gibraltar, and led to an official complaint to UEFA by the government and the Gibraltar Football Association. After an investigation was opened on 19 July, Rodri and Morata were formally charged under Article 11 of UEFA on 23 July. The pair were given a one match ban.

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, and has won 100% of his aerial duels in the 2022–23 season, according to Squawka. He averages a passing accuracy of 91–92%.

Rodri is further known for his versatility and tactical intelligence. He is known for his contributions to his team's build-up play. 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. His ability to maintain possession under pressure allows him to perform this role effectively.

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. 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. He is also known for his ability to set the tempo of the game.

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.

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. 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. Rodri was awarded the Ballon d'Or in 2024, recognizing his outstanding performances throughout the season.

Reception

Many pundits currently consider Rodri to be one of the best defensive midfielders in world football. In January 2024, members of the ESPN FC staff debated whether Rodri was in fact that best player in the world at the moment. In March 2024, his Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola described him as "the best midfield player, currently, in the world by far." That same month, The New York Times rated him as the best player in the Premier League, while former defender Rio Ferdinand believed that Rodri was already arguably the best defensive midfielder in the league's history.

He was nominated for the 2023 Ballon d'Or, ultimately finishing 5th. He won the 2024 Ballon d'Or, finishing ahead of Vinícius Júnior, Jude Bellingham, and Dani Carvajal.

Personal life

While a Villarreal youth player, Rodri studied at the Jaume I University in nearby Castellón de la Plana for four years to gain a degree in business administration and management. At university, he met his longterm girlfriend Laura, who was studying medicine.

Career statistics

Club

As of match played 22 September 2024

1. Includes Copa del Rey, FA Cup
2. Includes EFL Cup
3. Appearances in Segunda División B play-offs
4. ^ Appearances in UEFA Europa League
5. ^ Appearances in UEFA Champions League
6. Appearance in UEFA Super Cup
7. ^ Appearance in FA Community Shield
8. One appearance in FA Community Shield, one appearance in UEFA Super Cup, two appearances in FIFA Club World Cup

International

As of match played 8 September 2024

As of match played 8 September 2024

Spain score listed first, score column indicates score after each Rodri goal

List of international goals scored by Rodri

No.	Date	Venue	Cap	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition	Ref.
1	17 November 2020	Estadio de La Cartuja, Seville, Spain	17	Germany	3–0	6–0	2020–21 UEFA Nations League A
2	26 March 2024	Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, Madrid, Spain	49	Brazil	1–0	3–3	Friendly
3					3–2
4	30 June 2024	RheinEnergieStadion, Cologne, Germany	53	Georgia	1–1	4–1	UEFA Euro 2024

Honours

Atlético Madrid

• UEFA Super Cup: 2018

Manchester City

• Premier League: 2020–21, 2021–22, 2022–23, 2023–24
• FA Cup: 2022–23; runner-up: 2023–24
• EFL Cup: 2019–20, 2020–21
• FA Community Shield: 2019
• UEFA Champions League: 2022–23; runner-up: 2020–21
• UEFA Super Cup: 2023
• FIFA Club World Cup: 2023

Spain U19

• UEFA European Under-19 Championship: 2015

Spain U21

• UEFA European Under-21 Championship runner-up: 2017

Spain

• UEFA European Championship: 2024
• UEFA Nations League: 2022–23; runner-up: 2020–21

Individual

• Ballon d'Or: 2024
• UEFA Champions League Player of the Season: 2022–23
• UEFA Champions League Team of the Season: 2022–23
• Premier League Goal of the Month: November 2021
• UEFA Nations League Finals Player of the Tournament: 2023
• UEFA European Under-19 Championship Team of the Tournament: 2015
• PFA Team of the Year: 2022–23 Premier League, 2023–24 Premier League
• FIFA Club World Cup Golden Ball: 2023
• IFFHS Men's World Team: 2023, 2024
• IFFHS World's Best Player: 2024
• Globe Soccer Awards Best Midfielder of the Year: 2023
• The Athletic European Men's Team of the Season: 2023–24
• UEFA European Championship Player of the Tournament: 2024
• UEFA European Championship Team of the Tournament: 2024
• FIFPRO Men's World 11: 2024
• The Best FIFA Men's 11: 2024

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External links

• Profile at the Manchester City F.C. website
• Rodri – UEFA competition record (archive) 

Spain squads

v t e Spain squad – UEFA Euro 2020 semi-finalists 1 De Gea 2 Azpilicueta 3 D. Llorente 4 P. Torres 5 Busquets (c) 6 M. Llorente 7 Morata 8 Koke 9 Gerard 10 Thiago 11 F. Torres 12 García 13 Sánchez 14 Gayà 16 Rodri 17 Fabián 18 Alba 19 Olmo 20 Traoré 21 Oyarzabal 22 Sarabia 23 Simón 24 Laporte 26 Pedri Coach: Luis Enrique v t e Spain squad – 2022 FIFA World Cup 1 Sánchez 2 Azpilicueta 3 García 4 P. Torres 5 Busquets (c) 6 Llorente 7 Morata 8 Koke 9 Gavi 10 Asensio 11 F. Torres 12 Williams 13 Raya 14 Balde 15 Guillamón 16 Rodri 17 Pino 18 Alba 19 Soler 20 Carvajal 21 Olmo 22 Sarabia 23 Simón 24 Laporte 25 Fati 26 Pedri Coach: Luis Enrique v t e Spain squad – UEFA Euro 2024 winners (4th title) 1 Raya 2 Carvajal 3 Le Normand 4 Nacho 5 Vivian 6 Merino 7 Morata (c) 8 Fabián 9 Joselu 10 Olmo 11 Torres 12 Grimaldo 13 Remiro 14 Laporte 15 Baena 16 Rodri 17 Williams 18 Zubimendi 19 Yamal 20 Pedri 21 Oyarzabal 22 Navas 23 Simón 24 Cucurella 25 Fermín 26 Ayoze Coach: De la Fuente

Awards

v t e UEFA European Championship Player of the Tournament Unofficial 1984: Platini 1988: Van Basten 1992: Schmeichel Official 1996: Sammer 2000: Zidane 2004: Zagorakis 2008: Xavi 2012: Iniesta 2016: Griezmann 2020: Donnarumma 2024: Rodri v t e UEFA Euro 2024 Team of the Tournament Goalkeeper Mike Maignan Defenders Kyle Walker William Saliba Manuel Akanji Marc Cucurella Midfielders Rodri Dani Olmo Fabián Ruiz Forwards Lamine Yamal Jamal Musiala Nico Williams v t e UEFA Nations League Finals Player of the Tournament 2019: Silva 2021: Busquets 2023: Rodri v t e 2022–23 Premier League PFA Team of the Year GK: Ramsdale DF: Saliba DF: Dias DF: Stones DF: Trippier MF: Ødegaard MF: Rodri MF: De Bruyne FW: Kane FW: Haaland FW: Saka v t e 2023–24 Premier League PFA Team of the Year GK: Raya DF: Saliba DF: van Dijk DF: Gabriel DF: Walker MF: Rodri MF: Rice MF: Ødegaard FW: Haaland FW: Foden FW: Watkins v t e 2024 FIFA FIFPRO World 11 Goalkeeper Ederson Defenders Dani Carvajal Antonio Rüdiger Virgil van Dijk Midfielders Jude Bellingham Kevin De Bruyne Toni Kroos Rodri Forwards Erling Haaland Kylian Mbappé Vinícius Júnior v t e FIFA Club World Cup / FIFA Intercontinental Cup Golden Ball FIFA Club World Cup 2000: Edílson 2005: Rogério Ceni 2006: Deco 2007: Kaká 2008: Rooney 2009: Messi 2010: Eto'o 2011: Messi 2012: Cássio 2013: Ribéry 2014: Ramos 2015: Suárez 2016: Ronaldo 2017: Modrić 2018: Bale 2019: Salah 2020: Lewandowski 2021: Thiago Silva 2022: Vinícius Jr. 2023: Rodri FIFA Intercontinental Cup 2024: Vinícius Jr. v t e UEFA Champions League Player of the Season 2022: Benzema 2023: Rodri 2024: Vinícius Jr. v t e Ballon d'Or France Football magazine award Ballon d'Or (1956–2009) 1956:  Matthews 1957:  Di Stéfano 1958:  Kopa 1959:  Di Stéfano 1960:  Suárez 1961:  Sívori 1962:  Masopust 1963:  Yashin 1964:  Law 1965:  Eusébio 1966:  Charlton 1967:  Albert 1968:  Best 1969:  Rivera 1970:  Müller 1971:  Cruyff 1972:  Beckenbauer 1973:  Cruyff 1974:  Cruyff 1975:  Blokhin 1976:  Beckenbauer 1977:  Simonsen 1978:  Keegan 1979:  Keegan 1980:  Rummenigge 1981:  Rummenigge 1982:  Rossi 1983:  Platini 1984:  Platini 1985:  Platini 1986:  Belanov 1987:  Gullit 1988:  van Basten 1989:  van Basten 1990:  Matthäus 1991:  Papin 1992:  van Basten 1993:  Baggio 1994:  Stoichkov 1995:  Weah 1996:  Sammer 1997:  Ronaldo 1998:  Zidane 1999:  Rivaldo 2000:  Figo 2001:  Owen 2002:  Ronaldo 2003:  Nedvěd 2004:  Shevchenko 2005:  Ronaldinho 2006:  Cannavaro 2007:  Kaká 2008:  C. Ronaldo 2009:  Messi FIFA Ballon d'Or (2010–2015) 2010:  Messi 2011:  Messi 2012:  Messi 2013:  C. Ronaldo 2014:  C. Ronaldo 2015:  Messi Ballon d'Or (2016–present) 2016:  C. Ronaldo 2017:  C. Ronaldo 2018:  Modrić 2019:  Messi 2020: not awarded 2021:  Messi 2022:  Benzema 2023:  Messi 2024:  Rodri Ballon d'Or additional awards (Ballon d'Or Féminin, Kopa Trophy, Yashin Trophy, Gerd Müller Trophy, Sócrates Award, Super Ballon d'Or, Ballon d'Or Dream Team) Related awards (French Player of the Year, FIFA Ballon d'Or (2010–2015), FIFA World Player of the Year (1991–2009), The Best FIFA Men's Player) v t e IFFHS World's Best Player Men's winners 1988: Van Basten 1989: Van Basten 1990: Matthäus 1991–2019: not awarded 2020: Lewandowski 2021: Lewandowski 2022: Messi 2023: Haaland 2024: Rodri Women's winners 2020: Harder 2021: Putellas 2022: Putellas 2023: Bonmatí 2024: Bonmatí

• 1996 births
• Living people
• Footballers from Madrid
• Spanish men's footballers
• Men's association football midfielders
• Villarreal CF B players
• Villarreal CF players
• Atlético Madrid footballers
• Manchester City F.C. players
• Segunda División B players
• La Liga players
• Premier League players
• UEFA Champions League–winning players
• Spain men's youth international footballers
• Spain men's under-21 international footballers
• Spain men's international footballers
• UEFA Euro 2020 players
• 2022 FIFA World Cup players
• UEFA Euro 2024 players
• UEFA Nations League–winning players
• Spanish expatriate men's footballers
• Expatriate men's footballers in England
• Spanish expatriate sportspeople in England
• UEFA European Championship–winning players
• Jaume I University alumni
• Ballon d'Or winners
• 21st-century Spanish sportsmen