Rodrigo Hernández Cascante, known as Rodri, grew up in Madrid and was released by Atlético Madrid’s academy as a teenager. He rebuilt his career at Villarreal before returning to Atlético in 2018.
Manchester City signed him in 2019, and he became the anchor of Pep Guardiola’s team. He scored the winning goal in the 2023 Champions League final and won four Premier League titles. At Euro 2024 he was named player of the tournament as Spain won, and later that year he won the Ballon d’Or, despite missing most of the 2024/25 season with a serious knee injury.
Barcelona signed him in August 2026, with Rodri turning down Real Madrid to make the move.
Playing style
Rodri is widely regarded as the best defensive midfielder in the world. He controls games from the base of midfield, receiving the ball from the defenders, keeping possession and dictating tempo with precise passing. He is tall and strong, wins aerial duels and tackles, and protects the defence. He also scores important goals from long range, including the winner in the 2023 Champions League final. His intelligence and composure made him the heartbeat of Manchester City’s success, and City rarely lost with him in the side. His knee injury in 2024 showed how important he was, as City struggled without him.
International career
Rodri has won more than 50 caps for Spain. He was named player of the tournament at Euro 2024, where Spain won all seven matches, although he was injured at half-time in the final. He also won the 2023 UEFA Nations League, when Spain beat Croatia on penalties in the final.
Career in numbers
Since his first senior season in 2015/16, Rodri has made 436 club appearances and scored 33 goals in all competitions for 4 clubs. His most productive season in front of goal was 2023/24, when he scored 9 times in 50 games for Manchester City. His busiest campaign was 2022/23, with 56 appearances. So far in 2026/27 he has made 7 appearances for Barcelona. The full season-by-season record is in the Stats section of this profile.
