If any figure in football has as many supporters as detractors, it is Pep Guardiola. But there is one thing that surely no one denies: his football knowledge. The former Manchester City coach made some statements nine months ago that make perfect sense today: “Rodri is an impressive player, but it’s not about playing after 6, 7 or 8 months and becoming the player he was before, no. Do you know when he will be? At the World Cup with Spain. At the World Cup we will see the best Rodri.”
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A crystal ball? I don’t think so. It is, rather, the knowledge of a coach who has seen, during seven seasons, the formation, training, and playing of who is, today, one of the jewels of the Spanish national team. When the Catalan made those statements at a press conference with Manchester City, Rodri had returned to the pitch after the most serious injury of his career. The midfielder was out of the field for eight months after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee in a match with the Sky Blues.
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Many doubted that he could recover his best version; Guardiola never did. Now it is proven that the former FC Barcelona coach was right and that Rodri would come back stronger than ever during the 2026 World Cup. The numbers back it up: Rodri Hernández won more duels (11) than the entire midfield of France (9) during the World Cup semifinal. Numbers are numbers, but the facts are there: with a brilliant and leading Rodri, the Spanish national team has reached its second World Cup final.
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