EAST RUTHERFORD, New Jersey: Spain captain Rodri won the Golden Ball award for the best player at the 2026 World Cup on Sunday after leading his team to a 1-0 victory against Argentina.
The 30-year-old Manchester City midfielder, who won the Ballon d’Or for the world’s best player in 2024, said the team were “a bit shocked right now”.
Rodri ruptured an anterior cruciate ligament while playing for City against Arsenal in September 2024, making his competitive return the following May.
.@POTUS congratulates Spain captain Rodri on winning the 2026 @FIFAWorldCup Golden Ball award pic.twitter.com/qle8N0HQ3l
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) July 19, 2026
“Even myself I cannot express with words,” he said. “I think now we’re like in a cloud.
“It’s been a very tough time. I just want the new generations to see my example as an opportunity — when you go down you can rise again.
“This is my philosophy my entire life. Of course, sometimes things go well, things they go wrong.
“But always the positivity I said to the lads before the game — we have to go for the game.
“We need to face them. We have to look to the eyes and see it. We won this game and then life gives you the World Cup or not.
“But we were brave, and I was brave in that moment.”
Spain secured the title thanks to Ferran Torres, who scored the decisive goal in the 106th minute to hand his side a 1-0 victory over defending champions Argentina and end Lionel Messi’s hopes of a fairytale World Cup farewell.
Barcelona striker Torres lashed home a thumping finish in the 106th minute to reward a dominant display by Spain against an Argentina team that failed to register a single shot on target in 120 minutes.
A star-studded crowd of 80,663 that included US President Donald Trump packed East Rutherford’s MetLife Stadium to see if Argentina captain Messi could crown his glittering career with a second World Cup victory.
