By Nick Mulvenney
EAST RUTHERFORD, New Jersey, July 19 (Reuters) - Spain's midfield rock Rodri hopes younger generations can learn from his experience in overcoming adversity after he won the World Cup on Sunday to complete his collection of the game's major prizes less than two years after rupturing his knee ligaments.
The 30-year-old was named the tournament's best player and joined greats Franz Beckenbauer, Gerd Muller and Zinedine Zidane as the only men to win the World Cup and European Championship
at international level, the European Cup/Champions League with his club, and the Ballon d'Or.
His achievement was all the more remarkable for the fact that he arrived at the tournament still looking for the dominant form that brought him football's most prestigious individual award in 2024 after helping Spain win the Euros and steering his club Manchester City to a record unbeaten streak of 74 matches with him in the side.
“It feels like the perfect script. I certainly didn’t expect this," he said after receiving FIFA's Player of the Tournament award, confusingly named the Golden Ball.
“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."
SPAIN COLLECTIVE
Rodri may be Spain's most influential player but La Furia Roja are all about the collective and Rodri heaped praise on his teammates for the way they kept at their task against a resilient Argentina side and finally secured a 1-0 victory with a Ferran Torres goal in the second period of extra time.
“That’s the secret of the national team," he said. "We’re always going to go for you. In the end, God rewards you. We’ve been brave.
“We’re on cloud nine," he added. "This squad is sensational. We’re two-time World Cup champions. It was the toughest tournament in World Cup history. We beat a great Argentina side, featuring (Lionel) Messi, the best player in history.”
Although it was a tough final, Rodri was in no doubt that his team deserved to join their Spanish 2010 predecessors by lifting the biggest prize in the game.
“Argentina. World champions," he said. "They haven’t created much, but they’re hard to break down. Spain are simply very good, and in the end, the result was fair.”
(Reporting by Nick Mulvenney, editing by Ed Osmond)
