Spain's 2026 FIFA World Cup-winning captain Rodri has publicly named Argentina's Lionel Messi as one of his three favorite footballers of all time. The revelation came in a clip shared by Albiceleste Talk, where the La Roja midfielder detailed his personal list. Rodri placed his idol, Zinedine Zidane, at the top, noting, "I'll have to say my idol, Zizou, of course because I played against him, and I consider him as the best of all time." Lionel Messi followed in second place, with Rodri citing his immense impact on the generation and country. He completed his top three with Andres Iniesta.
The selection comes shortly after the two stars faced off in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final on July 19 in New Jersey. Rodri led Spain to a 1-0 victory over Argentina in extra time. The decisive moment arrived in the 106th minute when Ferran Torres scored the winner following an assist from substitute Nico Williams. The match saw Argentina reduced to 10 men after Enzo Fernandez was dismissed during second-half stoppage time. This victory prevented the Albiceleste from becoming the first team in 64 years to successfully defend their title, while marking the second time La Roja has claimed the trophy.
Rodri's individual performance throughout the tournament was stellar; he earned the Golden Ball award after playing nearly every minute across eight matches. With this triumph, he became the 12th player in history to win the Ballon d'Or, the UEFA Champions League, and the World Cup. For his part, Lionel Messi enjoyed a prolific campaign across the USA, Mexico, and Canada, recording eight goals and four assists in eight games. Messi set several milestones, including becoming the oldest hat-trick scorer in the tournament and achieving a nine-game scoring streak that concluded in a quarter-final victory over Switzerland. Although he finished one goal behind Golden Boot winner Kylian Mbappe, who scored 22, Messi remains the competition's record assist-provider with eight.
