July 20, 2026 — 3:30pmThere is a well-worn cliché about the merits of patience. Something about it being a highly regarded moral trait. One that helps a person tolerate frustrating delays and maintain focus on the long-term goal. Resilience and endurance win the day, and Rodri wins the Golden Ball.Just ask the oracle, Pep Guardiola, who held his Manchester City player back from returning too soon after rupturing his right anterior cruciate ligament.“I said to him – and he maybe struggled to understand – it’s not about six, seven, eight months out, then playing and being the Rodri of before,” Guardiola said last October, with the wisdom of having observed the midfielder return for June’s Club World Cup just eight months after the initial injury, only to re-aggravate it.“No. Do you know when Rodri will be good? At the World Cup with Spain. At the World Cup, he will be the best Rodri.”Even when Rodri finally returned properly in January, and City were visibly the better for his presence, there was a sense that the 2024 Ballon d’Or winner had not yet matched his previous heights. Plenty wondered if he ever would rediscover the form that helped Spain win the 2024 European Championship (and him win player of the tournament) and City to a record 74-match unbeaten streak with him in the side.After Spain’s opening match at the World Cup – that shock group-stage draw with Cape Verde – the criticism was loud enough for manager Luis de la Fuente to publicly defend his player.Rodri kisses his Golden Ball trophy.Getty Images“It seems incredibly insulting to me that people would say that about the best player in the world,” de la Fuente said last after last month’s scoreless result. “… Rodri is the best player in the world. Even at 50 per cent, he is better than most other midfielders in the world. He brings clarity, vision, balance. Rodri is an inspiration for us.”Then the rest of Spain’s tournament happened. They conceded a single goal en route to winning the trophy, and goalkeeper Unai Simon made a total 14 saves across their eight games – Argentina’s Emi Martinez made 11 in the final alone – demonstrating just how well he has been shielded.Spain’s defensive line has been miserly, but Rodri has been the midfield anchor, cutting off supply to opponents’ attacks and playing almost every minute. The campaign was collective, but this 30-year-old was the commander. The reference point.And yet, the announcement of Rodri as player of the 2026 World Cup was met with as much disdain as it was nods of agreement. Lionel Messi was robbed, they said. Messi was named player of the match five times; Rodri once. Messi had eight goals and four assists; Rodri had none of either.Many believe Messi should have won the Golden Ball.SBSThe MetLife Stadium crowd chanted Messi’s name as Rodri collected his Golden Ball trophy, as if the voting had somehow been rigged. Others mentioned Kylian Mbappe, Erling Haaland and Jude Bellingham as more worthy candidates.In reality, the identity of the official recipient said more about how much the world values individualism over teamwork. It also revealed how sometimes the most meaningful contributions can be the quietest.The defensive midfield role is on the less sexy end of the spectrum, and the hallmark of those who thrive in it is that they often go unnoticed. They operate in service of structure and passes that allow others to steal the limelight. It isn’t glitzy, but it is as necessary as a goalscorer in a team in pursuit of greatness.Rodri completed a tournament-high 747 passes at a 93 per cent accuracy rate. In the final, he rendered Messi invisible. The all-time GOAT recorded one touch in the opening 15 minutes, and that was the kick-off. Argentina became the first World Cup finalists to fail to register a single shot in the regulation 90 minutes. By the end of extra time they had two, neither on target.And yes, Messi’s tournament has been a smorgasbord of logic-defying moments of which a 39-year-old should not be capable. And so it stands to reason that such a talent could also be squeezed out by one performing more efficiently.Rodri, back at his best. Joining Franz Beckenbauer, Gerd Muller and Zinedine Zidane as the only men to win the World Cup and European Championships with their country, the European Cup/Champions League with club, and the Ballon d’Or.“It feels like the perfect script. I certainly didn’t expect this,” Rodri said upon receiving the Golden Ball trophy. “I’d love for the younger generations to see that a player who touches the heavens, then descends into hell, can come back. It’s a lesson in overcoming adversity.”Patience is a virtue, and good things come to those who wait.More:FIFA World CupSpainArgentinaLionel MessiAnalysisFrom our partners