Rodri's passing accuracy reached historic levels
Rodri misplaced only five of his 106 passes in Spain's World Cup final victory over Argentina. The 30-year-old midfielder completed 93.2% of his passes throughout the tournament, with a 95.3% success rate in the final being his highest in any of the eight matches. According to Opta, his 94.0 completed passes per 90 minutes was the highest average for any player with at least 400 minutes at a single World Cup.
Dominance in dangerous areas
Rodri led the World Cup for passes completed in the final third with 204, completing 91.9% of the 222 he attempted. His ball retention helped Spain concede only 2.37 expected goals across the tournament, a mere 0.28 per 90 minutes, and just 0.22 in the 120-minute final.
Defensive contributions proved crucial
Rodri made 26 tackles, the most of any player in the competition. In the final, he made four tackles and was not dribbled past. He won 63.3% of his 60 ground duels, markedly above Spain's team rate of 48.6%. None of the other 27 players who contested more than 46 ground duels were as successful. He dispossessed Lionel Messi in the 92nd minute of normal time as Messi approached the penalty area.
Impact on Spain's defensive record
Spain allowed only five big chances in eight matches, according to Opta's definition. Cape Verde's one came from a corner after Rodri had been substituted. The other three were headers, none occurring after the quarter-final, and crosses came from Spain's left, not Rodri's side. Teams could play around Spain's midfield but never through it.
Rodri's performances earned him the Golden Ball as player of the tournament, capping a remarkable comeback after rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament in September 2024. He had started only 22 games since the injury but showed no signs of rustiness in Spain's victorious campaign.
