Analysis

World Cup 2026 award winners: Did Rodri deserve to win the Golden Ball for best player over Lionel Messi?

Rodri was named as the World Cup Golden Ball winner after helping Spain win the tournament; the midfielder trumped the likes of Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe, but was he a deserving winner?

Football Journalist

Monday 20 July 2026 22:52, UK

It feels like 2024 all over again. Spain have dominated their way to glory and Rodri is the on-field mastermind credited by overseeing it all.

The Manchester City midfielder led his side to their second World Cup, just two years after being the man behind their European Championship glory.

Like then, his individual efforts were recognised as he was named the recipient of the World Cup Golden Ball for the best player of the tournament. His compatriots Pau Cubarsi and Unai Simon were also among the award winners, claiming the Young Player and Golden Glove awards respectively.

Rodri edged out the likes of Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Jude Bellingham for the top honour, with each of them having enjoyed stellar tournaments in their own right. Given the understated manner in which Rodri typically goes about his work, his triumph has sparked a heated debate reminiscent of the controversy surrounding his Ballon d'Or victory in 2024.

Do those other superstars really have a right to feel hard done by?

Well, Sky Sports' Power Rankings do have the trio of Messi, Mbappe and Bellingham as the top three performers of the 2026 World Cup, in that order. Where does Rodri rank on that list? 18th.

In fact, according to his overall tournament rating, he was only the seventh-best Spanish player at the World Cup.

So, why was he named player of the tournament? Well, no one was more involved on the ball than Rodri. He topped the charts for touches, but that means little. What matters is what he did with them.

At both ends of the pitch, he was a constant influence. In possession, he ranked second for final-third passes and 15th for chances created, highlighting his ability to dictate play and contribute in the attacking phase. Out of possession, he made the most tackles of any player at the tournament while also ranking among the top four for possessions won in both the attacking and middle thirds.

What the data can't account for is his experience. The impact his leadership has on a young team is crucial.

Those are the positives, but the counter-argument lies less in Rodri's performances and more in the calibre of his competition. Across 43 key metrics analysed, he ranked inside the top 10 in 13 categories - narrowly ahead of Bellingham (12), but behind both Messi and Mbappe, who each recorded 18 top-10 finishes.

It can also be noted that Messi had the best individual performance of the tournament according to the rankings - his hat-trick hero display in Argentina's opener vs Algeria.

These include goals, assists, big chances created and through balls. Of course, they aren't as strong in the defensive statistics, but the power rankings acknowledge the stats most relevant to their positions.

The data suggests that, while Rodri was undoubtedly among the tournament's elite performers, he did not stand out to the same degree as Messi and Mbappe across the key metrics.

Given that all three players were influential leaders for their respective teams, Rodri's captaincy alone may not be enough to justify giving him the edge. The argument can certainly be made that the best team were awarded the best player award, rather than the actual best player.

Cubarsi steals Lamine Yamal's spotlight as World Cup starlet

Before the tournament, Lamine Yamal would've been most people's pick for the Young Player of the Tournament. Instead, it was his Barcelona team-mate Cubarsi who stole the show.

It is clear to see why the 19-year-old was named the golden boy of the tournament. As part of a defence that conceded just one goal all tournament, Cubarsi shone. No player aged 21 or under played more passes, made more clearances or won possession back in all thirds. He even ranked in the top four in final third passes. This is a defender, bear in mind.

Meanwhile, Lamine Yamal didn't quite hit the heights expected of him. Though he did still star in certain areas compared to other youngsters, his stats are swallowed up when you compare them with players of all ages. Cubarsi remains elite.

Simon wins golden glove, but was he the best goalkeeper?

The other Spaniard to pick up an individual accolade was goalkeeper Simon. Having been preferred throughout the tournament to Arsenal's David Raya, Luis de la Fuente's selection paid off. With seven clean sheets in eight games, it's hard to argue against him.

His ranking inside the top five of the power rankings is heavily influenced by his clean sheets, something he definitely deserves credit for. However, he wasn't the busiest of goalkeepers. In fact, the Athletic Bilbao man made just 10 saves all tournament. Emi Martinez, on the other hand, made 20.

However, only Vozinha outperformed his xG conceded [1.98] by a greater margin than Simon [1.7]. And the moment when the Spaniard rushed off his line to stop Messi running through on goal in the early stages of the final epitomised another strength of his game.

No goalkeeper completed more sweeper regains all tournament [11], while his final passing accuracy of 77.87 per cent was only bettered by six others. All in all, the ideal competition for a modern-day goalkeeper, who just so happened to have an incredible defence ahead of him to boot.

Your views:

We put it to you in our World Cup blog on if you thought Rodri deserved to win the World Cup Golden Ball in our dedicated World Cup blog, and this is what you had to say:

Red Rob: Rodri was awesome in every game. 100 per cent back to his best. Messi was a bit-part player, only came out to play for 10 minutes most games. I love watching him but final was a game too far.

MH92: If the best player award is based on performances, so many players had better games than Messi, Bellingham for example. If it's based on goal involvements, Mbappe should win it with a new record 14. Rodri deserved it, Messi, didn't.

RJ1878: Argentina never reach the final of the World Cup without the things Messi has done in this tournament. At 39, people said he couldn't do it again but he's dragged that team to another final. And the numbers back it up too!

Ryan: Can't believe Rodri was given player of the tournament! His side won the World Cup but he wasn't the best player of the tournament, should've been Bellingham.

Gaz: Messi wasn't really in the top five if we're being honest. He scored a few goals but he doesn't do much. Plays in moments.

Vaughn: No, Messi shouldn't have gotten it. Throughout the World Cup arrogant and wanted everything to go his way. Rodri probably was the right person to win it, I'd say followed by Bellingham then Mbappe.