Rodri Picks His Ballon d'Or Favorites, Overlooking Mbappe for Spanish Teammates
Barcelona midfielder Rodri has thrown his support behind his fellow Spanish World Cup winners as top contenders for the 2026 Ballon d'Or, leaving out some of football's biggest names like Kylian Mbappe.
Six Spanish Stars in Rodri's Eyes
The former Manchester City player laid out his personal shortlist in an interview with El Partidazo de COPE, emphasizing that the next Ballon d'Or should belong to one of his national teammates following Spain's recent World Cup success. His picks include six Spaniards:
- Marc Cucurella
- Pau Cubarsi
- Fabian Ruiz
- Lamine Yamal
- Ferran Torres
- Rodri himself
He expressed strong belief in their worthiness: "What I would really like is for a Spaniard to win it. There are six of us nominated: Cucurella, Cubarsi, Rodri, Ruiz, Lamine, and Ferran. I can tell you that, individually, every one of them absolutely deserves the Ballon d'Or. I think all my team-mates have solid arguments."
Why These Players Stand Out
Rodri broke down why each teammate is a strong candidate. He pointed out that Fabian Ruiz earned the most titles over the season. The young Pau Cubarsi, just 19, impressed with his achievements, while Lamine Yamal was described as "incredible." Rodri credited Ferran Torres for scoring the decisive goal when it mattered most and mentioned that he himself was named Player of the Tournament.
"Fabian Ruiz is the one who has won the most titles. Cubarsi, for what he has achieved at just 19 years old. Ferran scored the decisive goal. As for me, I was named Player of the Tournament. And Lamine is incredible."
Snubbing Global Superstars
By focusing solely on his Spanish teammates, Rodri left out prominent global stars like Kylian Mbappe, Harry Kane, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, and Ousmane Dembele. Though these forwards boast impressive scoring records, Rodri acknowledged the hype around them:
"I think it's great that they consider themselves the best in the world."
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