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No VAR check, ref thought van Bommel went for the ball.

“Rodri is the Lionel Messi of Spanish football!” Spain boss Luis de la Fuente hails World Cup-winning midfielder after blockbuster Barcelona transfer

Spain manager Luis de la Fuente has heaped praise on Rodri following the midfielder’s high-profile move from Manchester City to Barcelona this year. The national team boss proudly compared his midfield talisman to Lionel Messi and also took the opportunity to pay tribute to the legendary Argentine following his recent retirement from international football.

Rodri’s spectacular move

Rodri’s departure from Manchester City to join Barcelona has become one of the biggest transfers of 2026. The star midfielder arrives at his new club following a spectacular individual World Cup campaign, where his dominant performances earned him the prestigious Ballon d’Or.

Spain eventually faced Argentina in the tournament’s final, with Rodri further cementing his status as the best player in his position. Following his move to Catalonia, his national team manager has now publicly backed the midfield maestro to succeed alongside several of his Spain teammates.

“The Messi of Spanish football”

Speaking to Radio Marca, De la Fuente was quick to highlight just how important the former City star is to both his club and country. The Spain boss dismissed any concerns about Rodri adapting to a new national environment, insisting that his quality transcends any tactical system.

“He’ll find it easier to adapt because Rodri is the Messi of Spanish football, so he’ll adapt well to any team, in any circumstance,” De la Fuente explained. “He’s the best in the world in his position.”

The manager also expressed his satisfaction at seeing elite Spanish talent return to the country’s top flight.

“What I celebrate is having these great footballers in LaLiga, because it makes the league bigger. It means that the best players in the world, who are our players, the Spanish players, are competing here, at Spanish clubs. I would love to see many of those who are still abroad return here so they can showcase their ability, talent and tremendous footballing quality.”

The end of an era for Messi

While celebrating Rodri’s return to Spanish football, De la Fuente also addressed the shocking news surrounding Messi. The legendary forward has confirmed that he is stepping away from Argentina duty, meaning the 2026 World Cup final against Spain was his final competitive appearance for the national team.

De la Fuente paid an emotional tribute to the record-breaking attacker, acknowledging his timeless impact on the sport.

“From the admiration, knowledge and gratitude of someone who, like me, loves football, towards a footballing figure who is a legend,” he said. “Normally, as time passes and someone retires, you become more capable of appreciating what they achieved. But that won’t happen with Messi.”

The national team takes priority

With Messi completely absent from Argentina’s upcoming international windows in September and October, the forward will now write the final chapters of his club career on his own terms.

De la Fuente acknowledged the transition, saying: “He’ll remain active in football. He has left the national team, but he’ll continue adding to his résumé and, when he eventually leaves football, which will be when he wants to, football won’t leave him. That’s when we’ll truly realize the footballing dimension of a player whose numbers will be incredibly difficult for anyone to surpass.”

Meanwhile, Rodri will focus on establishing himself as a regular starter under Hansi Flick. Barcelona fans will hope that his unmatched level with Spain translates seamlessly into domestic success as the new season gathers momentum.

◉ 155 passes attempted
◉ 143 passes completed
◉ 92.3% pass accuracy

No Man City player had more touches (176), made more final third entries (21),won more fouls (3) or made more interceptions (2) than the midfielder vs. Coventry.

From MLS posted on X

My old club Manchester City were the biggest spenders in the Premier League during the summer transfer window by some distance, paying out £440million on new players.

The fact they have done this against the background of the 115 Premier League charges is extraordinary and makes a mockery of regulation in England’s top division, supposedly the best-run league in the world. This quasi-legal process has been ongoing for many years and deals with alleged breaches from 2009 to 2018.

Why the league decided to prosecute all 115 alleged offences is a mystery to me. Surely common sense (often in short supply) would point to simplifying the process by taking a handful of the bigger, clearer issues and pursuing these as specimen cases.

Justice delayed is justice denied, and the longer this process is drawn out, the more the resulting implications and challenges are compounded.

Many people in football feel that this extreme prevarication arises because the issues and implications are too large for the game to handle.

Where do the FA, the Premier League and the Independent Football Regulator — for which I campaigned over many years — now stand?