THE SMOKE FROM more than 800 wildfires in Canada that drifted south to the northeast of the United States earlier this week is set to dissipate by the time of Sunday’s World Cup final.
It had already largely lifted around New York on Friday while heavy rain is due on Saturday, although the White House’s World Cup task force executive director, Andrew Giuliani, told a briefing that it remains an issue.
“There’s been discussion about it, and we have somebody with the National Weather Service that sits in Fifa headquarters there, so we’re monitoring closely,” he said.
Fortunately, it is not set to be a major issue by the time Argentina and Spain face off in New Jersey.
Through a different kind of haze this World Cup might just be defined.
After the blur of a haphazard start to this tournament, Spain’s Rodri has reemerged to remind us all that he is the best midfielder in the world.
While it feels like emotion is fuelling a sense of destiny for Argentina and Lionel Messi, Rodri’s revival is one that should be cherished. Just like Erling Haaland seemed to open up and allow his personality to blossom during this World Cup, we have come to appreciate the Spaniard and his strength of character due to his own journey over the last two years.
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Just a few months after being forced off with a leg injury at half-time of their Euro 2024 final win over England, he suffered a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his right knee.
The anguish of the physical and mental toll appears to have been conquered.
Rodri suffers an ACL injury in September 2024. Alamy Stock Photo
Alamy Stock Photo
The Ballon d’Or winner of two years ago has not become a forgotten man. There were doubts, of course, and an increased spotlight given the standards previously set. Such a setback could have derailed the trajectory of his career. What a triumph it would be to overcome such adversity, and those doubts that hung over him, to lift the World Cup on Sunday.
Could there be any better form of personal redemption in football?
In a sport that can be cruel and feel vindicative, Rodri has not been discarded. Only he will know the true extent of what he has been through. His strength of character, clearly, is matched by his quality because in every way possible he is central to Spain’s identity.
Perhaps that’s part of the reason why his manager, Luis de la Fuente, felt compelled to offer a strident defence of his talisman in the aftermath of their sluggish opening 0-0 draw with Cape Verde.
Spain and Argentina being the finalists adds even more gloss to Pico Lopes and Co’s journey of a lifetime in the United States given they pushed both to the limit.
But after that stalemate in Atlanta back on 15 June, the Spanish came in for criticism for being too ponderous and lacking imagination. Rodri bore the brunt of it, prompting De la Fuente to offer his retort on Cadena COPE radio.
“It seems incredibly insulting to me that people would say that about the best player in the world. Would people say that about others who are considered the best in the world?
“I think they wouldn’t dare but because they’re Spanish, we say things about our own that we wouldn’t about others.
“Rodri is the best player in the world. Even at 50%, he is better than most other midfielders in the world. He brings clarity, vision, balance. Rodri is an inspiration for us.”
It is a quote, much like the player himself, that has aged like a fine wine during this World Cup. The same goes for an assertion from Pep Guardiola last October that has turned into a prophecy.
“I said to him, and he maybe struggled to understand, it’s not about six, seven, eight months out, then playing and being the Rodri of before,” the former Manchester City boss said.
“No. Do you know when Rodri will be good? At the World Cup with Spain. At the World Cup he will be the best Rodri.”
Some of the stats that sum up his influence are compelling. He has completed 655 passes which, according to Opta, is the most by any player at a World Cup since 1966.
It is part of the reason why Spain have averaged 64% possession in games with Sky Sports detailing how Rodri also had around 20% more touches and made 20% more passes than anyone else in the tournament.
Spain boss Luis de la Fuente with Rodri. Alamy Stock Photo
Alamy Stock Photo
That is a pretty clear example of the “clarity, vision and balance” referenced by De la Fuente.
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Crucially, for the type of game we can expect on Sunday, Rodri will not allow it to descend into what happened between Argentina and England in their semi-final in Atlanta.
There will be no panic and no retreat. That is as much down to Spain’s overall structure, of course, but Rodri reinforces those ideals of poise, precision and confidence. They’ve conceded just once in seven games here – against Belgium in the quarter-finals – and their 2-0 win over France was one of the great semi-final performances.
It was a commanding display that completely overpowered and outmanoeuvred Didier Deschamps’ side. Rodri was at the heart of it with Dani Olmo and Fabian Ruiz either side of him in Dallas.
Surely that will not be changed for Sunday.
It will also be fascinating to watch Rodri and Messi share the same pitch, and the dynamic of that duel given the midfielder is perhaps one of the few to match the Argentina great’s intelligence and perception of time and space.
Messi’s licence to roam and seek weakness will tell its own tale, too, and now we wait to see if Rodri can close this chapter of his life and career with the ultimate story of glory and redemption.
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Emotion fuels sense of destiny for Argentina but Rodri's redemption is at heart of Spain story
THE SMOKE FROM more than 800 wildfires in Canada that drifted south to the northeast of the United States earlier this week is set to dissipate by the time of Sunday’s World Cup final.
It had already largely lifted around New York on Friday while heavy rain is due on Saturday, although the White House’s World Cup task force executive director, Andrew Giuliani, told a briefing that it remains an issue.
“There’s been discussion about it, and we have somebody with the National Weather Service that sits in Fifa headquarters there, so we’re monitoring closely,” he said.
Fortunately, it is not set to be a major issue by the time Argentina and Spain face off in New Jersey.
Through a different kind of haze this World Cup might just be defined.
After the blur of a haphazard start to this tournament, Spain’s Rodri has reemerged to remind us all that he is the best midfielder in the world.
While it feels like emotion is fuelling a sense of destiny for Argentina and Lionel Messi, Rodri’s revival is one that should be cherished. Just like Erling Haaland seemed to open up and allow his personality to blossom during this World Cup, we have come to appreciate the Spaniard and his strength of character due to his own journey over the last two years.
Just a few months after being forced off with a leg injury at half-time of their Euro 2024 final win over England, he suffered a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his right knee.
The anguish of the physical and mental toll appears to have been conquered.
The Ballon d’Or winner of two years ago has not become a forgotten man. There were doubts, of course, and an increased spotlight given the standards previously set. Such a setback could have derailed the trajectory of his career. What a triumph it would be to overcome such adversity, and those doubts that hung over him, to lift the World Cup on Sunday.
Could there be any better form of personal redemption in football?
In a sport that can be cruel and feel vindicative, Rodri has not been discarded. Only he will know the true extent of what he has been through. His strength of character, clearly, is matched by his quality because in every way possible he is central to Spain’s identity.
Perhaps that’s part of the reason why his manager, Luis de la Fuente, felt compelled to offer a strident defence of his talisman in the aftermath of their sluggish opening 0-0 draw with Cape Verde.
Spain and Argentina being the finalists adds even more gloss to Pico Lopes and Co’s journey of a lifetime in the United States given they pushed both to the limit.
But after that stalemate in Atlanta back on 15 June, the Spanish came in for criticism for being too ponderous and lacking imagination. Rodri bore the brunt of it, prompting De la Fuente to offer his retort on Cadena COPE radio.
“It seems incredibly insulting to me that people would say that about the best player in the world. Would people say that about others who are considered the best in the world?
“I think they wouldn’t dare but because they’re Spanish, we say things about our own that we wouldn’t about others.
“Rodri is the best player in the world. Even at 50%, he is better than most other midfielders in the world. He brings clarity, vision, balance. Rodri is an inspiration for us.”
It is a quote, much like the player himself, that has aged like a fine wine during this World Cup. The same goes for an assertion from Pep Guardiola last October that has turned into a prophecy.
“I said to him, and he maybe struggled to understand, it’s not about six, seven, eight months out, then playing and being the Rodri of before,” the former Manchester City boss said.
“No. Do you know when Rodri will be good? At the World Cup with Spain. At the World Cup he will be the best Rodri.”
Some of the stats that sum up his influence are compelling. He has completed 655 passes which, according to Opta, is the most by any player at a World Cup since 1966.
It is part of the reason why Spain have averaged 64% possession in games with Sky Sports detailing how Rodri also had around 20% more touches and made 20% more passes than anyone else in the tournament.
That is a pretty clear example of the “clarity, vision and balance” referenced by De la Fuente.
Crucially, for the type of game we can expect on Sunday, Rodri will not allow it to descend into what happened between Argentina and England in their semi-final in Atlanta.
There will be no panic and no retreat. That is as much down to Spain’s overall structure, of course, but Rodri reinforces those ideals of poise, precision and confidence. They’ve conceded just once in seven games here – against Belgium in the quarter-finals – and their 2-0 win over France was one of the great semi-final performances.
It was a commanding display that completely overpowered and outmanoeuvred Didier Deschamps’ side. Rodri was at the heart of it with Dani Olmo and Fabian Ruiz either side of him in Dallas.
Surely that will not be changed for Sunday.
It will also be fascinating to watch Rodri and Messi share the same pitch, and the dynamic of that duel given the midfielder is perhaps one of the few to match the Argentina great’s intelligence and perception of time and space.
Messi’s licence to roam and seek weakness will tell its own tale, too, and now we wait to see if Rodri can close this chapter of his life and career with the ultimate story of glory and redemption.
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