"The Ballon d'Or? I'd like Lamine or Pedri to win it, but Dembele or Vitinha deserve it on merit"

After a year on the sidelines with a serious injury, Rodri is back with the Spanish national team. The City midfielder spoke at a press conference ahead of the second match of the 2026 World Cup qualifying phase against Turkey and shared his feelings.

"Very happy to be back here. It's been a very long year. I've tried to take the positives and rest. Batteries recharged and very excited. I'm very good physically, no discomfort. Now it's a matter of getting up to speed," said the Madrid native, who played a few minutes against Bulgaria.

"When you have an injury of this magnitude, what the player wants is to turn the page as soon as possible and dedicate himself to what he's passionate about. I still have a way to go. It's a natural thing; it's going to come with time. Very keen to compete and to feel good, which is the most difficult thing. But if a year has passed and your body doesn't give you any discomfort, that's the most important thing," he continued.

Returning to the ordeal of the last 12 months due to the injury, the midfielder, who tore his cruciate ligament shortly before winning the Ballon d'Or, spoke about that moment. "The injury marked me much more than the Ballon d'Or. It was a breath of fresh air in a moment when I was having a very bad time. With humility. I still want to be the same player and get back to the level I was at. Happy for the recognition, but it's no use to me," he said.

On the other hand, Rodri was asked about those words to Lamine Yamal in the middle of the European Championship. The 'citizen' player told him that if he kept working, he could achieve whatever he wanted. "I didn't want the cameras to catch me. It's a bit of a reflection that he has to put at the service of the team and football the enormous talent they have. We have seen many such cases get lost along the way. Lamine is an outsized talent and an exceptional case. I see him happy and doing things well," he said.

The Spanish national team is on a 26-match unbeaten run and is very close to reaching 29, the mark left by Vicente del Bosque at the helm of 'la Roja': "When Luis de la Fuente arrived, we needed to show what we had, to show that conviction. Now we have taken that little step. We want to continue working, being humble. All the matches are complicated, Sunday's is a final. We don't want to follow the path of other generations."

"The Ballon d'Or is difficult. PSG have been the team of the season, and it would be difficult not to give it to someone from that team. I'm happy for Luis Enrique. I'd like Lamine or Pedri to take it, but in terms of sporting merit, Dembele or Vitinha," said Rodri on who could win the highest individual honour.

Finally, the Madrid native analysed the Turkish national team. "It is not characterised by great individuals, but by the group. We saw it in the European Championship. Calhanoglu or Guler can make the difference with their extra quality. They are a very dangerous opponent," he concluded.