Spain coach Luis de la Fuente never had any doubts that Manchester City midfielder Rodri would be a major asset for the team at the World Cup despite concerns about his recent injuries.
Rodri, who had a 93.4% passing accuracy during the World Cup, was awarded the Golden Ball as the tournament's best player after helping Spain defeat Argentina in Sunday's final.
The Spain captain came under scrutiny early in the tournament, with some critics arguing that his presence slowed the team's play.
"With all due respect, and without wishing to offend anyone, I said that doubting Rodri was, quite obviously, an insult to one's footballing intelligence," De la Fuente told Spanish TVE.
"He is the best player in the world in his position, bearing in mind that we have MartÃn Zubimendi behind him, who is also one of the greats, surely the second best in the world. But we knew we had to follow a process and meet the deadlines we'd set ourselves.
"He [Rodri] grew stronger with every match, The fact is, even at 50 per cent, Rodri is better than a great many other players."
Rodri, 30, said after lifting the World Cup that he went through "a tough time" to regain his fitness.
Groin and hamstring problems limited the 2024 Ballon d'Or winner to 33 appearances for Man City across all competitions in the 2025-26 campaign. Rodri had only just recovered from a right ACL injury that had ruled him out for most of the 2024-25 campaign.
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"It's been a very tough time," he said. "I just want the new generations to see my example as an opportunity. When you go down, you can rise again. This is my philosophy for my entire life."
Rodri, who is under contract with City for another season and is a target of Real Madrid, will have to show the same positive approach as he deals with yet another injury setback.
A source told ESPN that Rodri is expected to undergo minor surgery on a back problem later this month. However, it is not expected to result in an extended absence.
