“He deserves this trophy” – Marc Cucurella pays tribute to Man City’s Rodri after World Cup Golden Ball win

“He deserves this trophy” – Marc Cucurella pays tribute to Man City’s Rodri after World Cup Golden Ball win Marc Cucurella has paid tribute to Man City’s Rodri following his Golden Ball win at the FIFA World Cup Spain beat Argentina 1-0 in Sunday’s final to win their second FIFA World Cup title Cucurella says Rodri “controlled everything” and “never loses the ball” throughout the tournament Spain and Real Madrid defender Marc Cucurella has paid a glowing tribute to Manchester City’s Rodri after the midfielder was crowned Golden Ball winner at the FIFA World Cup, following La Roja’s 1-0 victory over Argentina in Sunday’s final. Rodri was the undisputed heartbeat of a Spain side that navigated the tournament’s most demanding knockout stages with a control and composure that bore his fingerprints throughout, winning his first FIFA World Cup title and the Golden Ball in the same extraordinary evening in what represents the peak achievement of a career already decorated with the Ballon d’Or . The 30-year-old’s influence across the entirety of the tournament had been a recurring talking point among pundits and players alike, with those inside the Spain camp consistently pointing to his presence as the defining factor in the team’s ability to maintain their structure and intensity even in the most pressurised moments of the competition. Man City’s Rodri joins elite club after FIFA World Cup Golden Ball award to complete fairytale ACL return Sunday’s final against Argentina brought that influence into its sharpest possible focus, with Rodri’s management of the game across 90 minutes central to Spain’s ability to protect a slender lead against one of the world’s most dangerous attacking sides and deliver what is now only the second World Cup triumph in the nation’s history. Cucurella, speaking in the mixed zone immediately following the final whistle, offered an assessment of his teammate’s tournament that went well beyond the customary post-match platitudes, articulating with precision exactly what Rodri brings to the team that statistics alone cannot capture. Cucurella: Rodri deserves Golden Ball because he played an amazing tournament Speaking to media after Spain’s World Cup final victory, Marc Cucurella showered praise upon the lynchpin and skipper of Luis de la Fuente ‘s side. “For us, it’s very important,” said Cucurella. “I think sometimes it’s not about just scoring or assisting. I think he controlled everything, he organised the team, he decides when we press, he decides when we attack, and for it’s very important.” The Real Madrid defender went on to capture perhaps the most underappreciated element of Rodri’s game – his value as a pressure valve for those around him in the most difficult moments of a tournament. Every time we’re under pressure, he gives us a chance to give him the ball,” Cucurella added on Rodri. “He never loses the ball and I think he deserves this trophy because he played an amazing tournament.” Man City 2026 World Cup Watch: Rodri and Spain crowned world champions after extra-time victory The tribute lands at a moment when Rodri’s future at the Etihad Stadium has been one of the central storylines of Manchester City’s summer, adding another layer of complication and context to a situation that was already among the most scrutinised in European football before the World Cup had even begun. What does Rodri’s World Cup triumph mean for Man City? The sight of Rodri lifting the World Cup and collecting the Golden Ball in the same evening is a reminder of the extraordinary calibre of player that Enzo Maresca is building his Manchester City around, and it reinforces the near-impossibility of replacing him should the speculation over his future ultimately resolve in departure rather than renewal. Real Madrid’s position throughout the summer has been clear – they have no intention of signing Rodri despite the admiration that exists for him within parts of the squad, a stance that removes the club most frequently cited as his potential destination from the equation for this window at least. That clarity, combined with Rodri’s own apparent contentment within the Spain camp and the pride with which Cucurella and his teammates have spoken about his contributions throughout the tournament, suggests a player whose focus has been entirely on football rather than on the transfer market rumours that have surrounded him since the window opened. For director of football Hugo Viana and Maresca, the task now is to welcome back a World Cup winner whose stock has never been higher, and to build the 2026-27 season around a player who has just demonstrated, on the grandest possible stage, exactly why Manchester City’s rebuild cannot be completed without him.