Rodri is far from intimidated by the prospect of facing one of the tournament favourites. Speaking ahead of the semi-final at the AT&T Stadium, the Ballon d’Or winner highlighted Spain’s previous successes over Didier Deschamps’ side to prove they belong on the same level. “France are one of the best teams here, in great form, but so are Spain. We can beat them, we’ve seen that at the Euros and in the Nations League,” the captain explained.
Success against France is nothing new for Rodri. He was part of the side that beat them in the 2015 Under-19 Euros semi-final, as well as the Euro 2024 semi-final and last summer’s Nations League.
“Luis de la Fuente hasn’t changed at all,” Rodri said of his long-time coach. “That’s where he began to build everything we see now.” While many expect a repeat of last year’s 5-4 thriller, the midfielder anticipates a tighter affair, noting: “World Cup matches are a different beast; I don’t think it will be anywhere near as open.”