Rodri Picks His Six Spanish Stars for the 2026 Ballon d'Or, Overlooking Mbappe
Barcelona midfielder Rodri has expressed strong support for his fellow World Cup-winning Spain players as top contenders for the 2026 Ballon d'Or, leaving out major names like Kylian Mbappe.
Spanish Players Dominate Rodri's Shortlist
After Spain's memorable World Cup win, Rodri made clear his belief that the prestigious award should go to a Spaniard. In an interview with El Partidazo de COPE, the former Manchester City player revealed six nominees—all from his international squad.
- Marc Cucurella
- Pau Cubarsi
- Fabian Ruiz
- Lamine Yamal
- Ferran Torres
- Rodri himself
He said, "What I would really like is for a Spaniard to win it. There are six of us nominated: Cucurella, Cubarsi, Rodri, Ruiz, Lamine, and Ferran. Each one absolutely deserves the Ballon d'Or. I think all my teammates have solid arguments."
What Makes Each Spanish Candidate Stand Out
Rodri highlighted different strengths among his compatriots. Fabian Ruiz claimed the most titles during the season. He praised the young Pau Cubarsi for his remarkable achievements at just 19 years old and described Lamine Yamal as "incredible." Rodri noted Ferran Torres scored the decisive goal when it counted most. He also mentioned his own accolade as Player of the Tournament.
Omitting Global Stars From Consideration
By focusing solely on his Spanish teammates, Rodri left out some of football's biggest attacking stars like Kylian Mbappe, Harry Kane, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, and Ousmane Dembele. Despite their impressive goal records, Rodri admitted understanding the media hype around these forwards, saying, "I think it's great they consider themselves the best in the world."
