Pep Guardiola🇪🇸: "The best-holding midfielders don't appear on the front pages of newspapers. They hide behind the team, but when the team plays well, it is because they are outstanding."

Luis de la Fuente🇪🇸: "Rodri has to be the Ballon d'Or. Give it to him, please. If you love football, watch Rodri instead of where the ball is. The guy has perfect game sense."

Matheus Nunes🇵🇹: "It's clear, Rodri should win the Ballon d'Or. I wish him a speedy recovery."

Thierry Henry🇫🇷: "My vote for Ballon d'Or is definitely Rodri."

Player Profile: 💪🦵

Full Name: Rodrigo Hernández Cascante

Age: 28 (Born June 22, 1996)

Position: Defensive Midfielder

Preferred Foot: Right

Place of Birth: Madrid, Spain

Style of Play:⚽️✨

Rodri’s presence on the pitch is defined by his physical strength, height, and tactical intelligence, which allow him to dominate in both tackles and aerial duels. His 73% tackle success rate and 100% aerial duel win rate in the 2022–23 season underscore his defensive prowess. His passing accuracy of 91–92% reflects his precision and composure, especially in high-stakes situations.

Serving as an anchor in the midfield, Rodri excels in regaining possession and initiating counterattacks, making him essential to his team’s build-up play. His vision and passing ability make him a deep-lying playmaker who can set the game’s tempo, as demonstrated by his role in orchestrating more play sequences than any other Premier League player in the 2023–24 season. Known for his versatility, he occasionally steps in as a ball-playing center-back, a position in which he thrived for Spain during the 2022 World Cup.

Rodri’s shooting has also been instrumental, particularly his long-range accuracy, as seen in his Champions League-winning goal for Manchester City against Inter in 2023. Though he may lack elite pace, he compensates with positional awareness, allowing him to disrupt even the fastest attackers in midfield.

Achievements: 🏆🥇

• UEFA Champions League: 2022–23
• UEFA Super Cup: 2018, 2023
• Premier League: 2020–21, 2021–22, 2022–23, 2023–24
• FA Cup: 2022–23
• EFL Cup: 2019–20, 2020–21
• FA Community Shield: 2019
• FIFA Club World Cup: 2023
• UEFA Champions League Player of the Season: 2022–23
• UEFA Champions League Team of the Season: 2022–23
• PFA Team of the Year: 2022–23, 2023–24
• FIFA Club World Cup Golden Ball: 2023
• Globe Soccer Awards Best Midfielder of the Year: 2023
• UEFA European Championship Player of the Tournament: 2024

With a rare blend of intelligence, skill, and composure, Rodri continues to redefine the role of a holding midfielder, proving indispensable to both his club and country.

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