Manchester City midfielder Rodri, 29, said he will wait until after the 2026 World Cup to discuss or decide on his playing future amid persistent transfer speculation linking him to Real Madrid [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6].
Rodri’s contract with Manchester City runs until 2027, with one year left on the deal [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]. The player has acknowledged that rumors are normal given the nearing end of his contract, stating, "Well, I’m trying not to make too much of it, but it is part of my job, especially when a player has been nearing the end of his contract for some time – it’s only natural that names come up" [2]. He added, "I'm very calm, I know exactly where I stand, and yes probably if there hadn’t been a World Cup, I might be in a different situation now but with a World Cup on the horizon, my responsibility is to stay focused" [4].
Rodri suffered a cruciate ligament injury in September 2024 and has struggled with fitness since, but he managed to make 21 Premier League appearances in the 2025-26 season after recovery [1, 3, 5]. He joined Manchester City from Atletico Madrid in 2019 and has been key to their success, helping the club win four Premier League titles and one Champions League trophy since then [1, 3, 5]. Rodri also won the 2024 Ballon d'Or, marking him as one of the top midfielders in world football [1, 2, 3, 4, 6].
Interest from Real Madrid has intensified. Enrique Riquelme, a presidential candidate at Real Madrid, named Rodri as a key target, saying Rodri is "the kind of player who has to play for Real Madrid" [1, 3, 5]. Despite the attention, Rodri remains focused on the World Cup with Spain.
Rodri rejoined Spain’s pre-World Cup training camp in Las Rozas, Madrid, on June 1, preparing for the tournament starting June 11 in the United States, Mexico, and Canada [3, 5]. Spain will face Cape Verde, Saudi Arabia, and Uruguay in Group H [2, 3, 4, 6]. Rodri encouraged his teammates to adopt a mindset of relentless effort and collective play, inspired by tennis star Rafa Nadal, saying, "I was just watching the documentary on Nadal and he was always talking about that – always one more ball, one more effort" [2, 4, 6].
Rodri said, "With a World Cup ahead, my responsibility is to stay focused. Anything related to my future will wait until after the World Cup" [1]. He reiterated, "We're here to talk about the World Cup and everything that concerns my future, I'll wait until the end of the World Cup" [5].
The 2026 World Cup runs from June 11 to July 19, after which Rodri is expected to make clear decisions regarding his club future [2, 3, 4, 6].
