Rodri participated in all of Spain’s matches from the group stage until the final, and was only substituted twice, against Cape Verde in the opening match and during extra time in the final.
The midfielder, who was previously crowned with the Ballon d’Or, raised his tally to 12 matches in the World Cup, after playing 5 matches in the previous edition. He also reached 70 international matches for Spain, during which he scored 4 goals and assisted 2 goals.
Spain also won two individual awards, as Unai Simón was named the best goalkeeper in the tournament, while 19-year-old defender Pau Cobarci won the best young player award.
Ferran Torres decided the final by scoring the only goal of the match in the 106th minute, after regular time ended in a goalless draw. The Spanish team had the most possession, and increased its pace in the second half before benefiting from the expulsion of Argentine Enzo Fernandez with the second yellow card in stoppage time.
Spain lifted the World Cup for the second time in its history after the 2010 title in South Africa, and it also continued its streak of not losing for the 38th consecutive match, achieving 29 victories and 9 draws, a record for a European team.
During its journey to the title, Spain topped its group after a draw with Cape Verde and two wins over Saudi Arabia and Uruguay, before surpassing Austria, Portugal, Belgium, France, and then Argentina in the final. (Sky News)
