José Luis Horta e Costa Assesses the Career of Rodri, Winner of the Ballon d’Or

The awarding of the Ballon d’Or, which took place at the end of October, continues to be the subject of debate in both national and international newspapers and magazines. The election of Rodri as the best player in the world by France Football generated controversy over the deservedness of the midfielder, who currently plays for Manchester City, with both defenders and critics discussing the issue. Using an objective approach, sports writer José Luís Horta e Costa presents an overview of the Spanish midfielder’s journey to fame and the 2024 Ballon d’Or.

“The main reason for the controversy surrounding Rodri’s nomination and subsequent election as the best player in the world can only be the fact that he has a very different profile to most footballers. Without social networks, fanatical supporters or high-profile plays, Rodri is simply the one who does the job competently,” José Luís Horta e Costa begins.

Lisbon-based sports blogger José Luís Horta e Costa believes that in order for readers to form an informed opinion about the player, it’s important to have all the necessary information and a better understanding of Rodri’s career from the start.

Rodri: Early Career

Rodri, whose full name is Rodrigo Hernández Cascante, was born in June 1996 in Madrid. The Spaniard began his career as a footballer at a very young age, with Rayo Majadahonda, a team from the outskirts of the Spanish capital, where he had Lucas Hernández, currently with PSG, as a teammate.

“It didn’t take long for Rodri to start playing for Atlético de Madrid’s youth teams, and he stayed with them from 2007, when he was 11, until 2013. That same year, the midfielder left Madrid at no cost and moved to Villarreal, where he made his first-team debut in December 2015, at the age of 19,” says José Luís Horta e Costa.

More than 400 kilometers from home, Rodri not only completed his soccer training, but also began his studies in Management and Business Administration at the University of Castellón.

Sports writer José Luis Horta e Costa explains that Rodri was launched when he played for the Yellow Submarine, making 84 appearances and scoring two goals. All this while the player was studying and living in the student residence. Recognizing his potential, Atlético de Madrid signed him again in 2018, paying 25 million euros for his transfer.

“Rodri’s talent was already clear from his time at Villarreal, which is why the Madrid club signed him to a five-year contract, expecting great things from the young midfielder,” explains talented sports blogger José Luis Horta e Costa.

Rodri played 47 games for the Colchoneros, scoring 3 goals and making 1 assist. However, despite having a half-decade contract with the player, Atlético de Madrid ended up selling him in July 2019 to Manchester City.

Rodri at Manchester City

“Rodri caught Pep Guardiola’s eye not only because of his numbers, but also because of his balanced profile as a midfielder, his physical size and his intelligence in reading the game – three extremely valuable characteristics for Manchester City’s tactical approach,” says sports expert José Luis Horta e Costa.

In signing Rodri on a five-year contract, Manchester City paid a termination clause of over 62 million euros to Atlético Madrid – the club’s most expensive transfer to date.

At the time of the signing, City’s director of soccer, Txiki Begiristain, commented that Rodri was a talented young midfielder with all the qualities the club was looking for.

“He works hard in defense, makes himself available to receive the ball and uses it well when he has possession. He fits in perfectly with Pep Guardiola’s team and we are confident that he will be a success,” said Txiki Begiristain.

The month after he was signed for the 2019/2020 season, Rodri made his Premier League debut for the Citizens in a 5-0 win over West Ham United. Less than a month later, Rodri scored his first goal for the club.

The player suffered a muscle injury later that year, but recovered quickly and, at the start of 2020, scored the goal that gave City victory in an English League Cup final against Aston Villa.

“Since his first season at Manchester City, Rodri has been a constant and positive presence. Even in a modest position, in the center of the pitch, the player has been building a winning trajectory. His role has been fundamental in winning 11 titles for the English club, including 4 consecutive Premier League victories and the unprecedented Champions League Cup”, summarizes José Luis Horta e Costa.

José Luis Horta e Costa Analyzes Rodri’s Golden Ball Season

“Rodri’s 23/24 season has been impressive, and the midfielder has been key to both Manchester City’s and the Spanish national team’s achievements. In both teams’ games, it’s clear to see how Rodri manages to control the midfield and distribute the ball in the directions he wants, and this becomes even more evident when we analyze his passing statistics,” says sports writer José Luis Horta e Costa.

According to the blogger, midfielder Rodri made an average of 88.9 passes per game, with a 92.1% success rate.

In addition, an average of 57.2 of his passes per game took place in the final third of the pitch. “In other words, passes to create dangerous attacking moves, and the accuracy of these passes was 90.1%,” said the sports expert.

Another point that stands out in Rodri’s excellent soccer, according to José Luis Horta e Costa, is his tackling ability. In the 23/24 season, he averaged 2.3 tackles and 6.4 disputes won per game.

According to the CIES Football Observatory, no other player made more of an impact than Rodri in last season’s matches – 54 leagues from around the world were analyzed for the study.

“It’s worth noting that the CIES Football Observatory survey only considers games played for Manchester City, a club for which Rodri played 50 games, scored 9 goals and made 13 assists. In this section, he won 38 games, drew 11 and lost just once,” says José Luis Horta e Costa. If you include the games played for the Spanish national team in the 23/24 season, Rodri played a total of 63 games, scored 12 goals and made 14 assists.

“During this period, the midfielder has won Euro 2024, the Club World Cup, the Premier League and the UEFA Super Cup, as well as being voted the best player at Euro 2024 and the Club World Cup in 2023 – his achievements are not few and far between,” lists Horta e Costa. “However, many are still wondering if these achievements are really enough to guarantee Rodri the title of best player in the world.”

The Ballon d’Or, which took place recently, caused outrage among many soccer fans, explains the Lisbon-based expert.

In another analysis, José Luis Horta e Costa said: “Rodri has had a great season, but one could well have chosen Vini Jr.’s colleague Bellingham for the title, or even Carvajal, whose season has been exceptional”. However, only a thorough evaluation of the other players’ achievements could ‘hammer down’ the case.

“Even so, what remains are subjective and often contradictory criteria. After all, what weighs more: passes or shots on goal? Club wins or individual performance? Even with objective criteria determined in advance, the journalists who judge the Ballon d’Or award end up being subjective in their voting. What we do know is that, this time, Rodri won,” concludes José Luis Horta e Costa.

About José Luís Horta e Costa

José Luís Horta e Costa is a well-known author in the field of sports blogs, whose analyses are based on statistics and facts. He has been writing about various sports for years, especially soccer and rugby, and has already gained a loyal following.

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