Rodrigo Hernández Cascante (born 22 June 1996), known simply as Rodri or Rodrigo, is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for La Liga club Barcelona and captains the Spain national team. Widely regarded as one of the best midfielders in the world, he is known for his passing, composure, playmaking and physical attributes. He is one of eleven players to have won the FIFA World Cup, UEFA Champions League, and Ballon d'Or in their career, and the only one to win the FIFA World Cup, FIFA Club World Cup, UEFA European Championship, UEFA Nations League, UEFA Champions League and the Best Player Award of each tournament.
Rodri began his senior career with Villarreal, progressing through the club's academy before making his first-team debut in December 2015. In 2018, he joined Atlético Madrid, where he established himself as a promising midfielder and won the UEFA Super Cup in 2018. His performances earned him interest from Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola. After a single season at Atlético, he signed for City in 2019 for £62.6 million, a then-record fee for a Spanish player.
At City, Rodri developed into a centrepiece of Guardiola's team. He played a decisive role in the club's domestic dominance, winning four consecutive Premier League titles and completing the continental treble in 2022–23. Rodri scored the only goal in the 2023 UEFA Champions League final against Inter Milan, as City won their first Champions League title; he was awarded the UEFA Champions League Player of the Season. He also scored in the 2023 FIFA Club World Cup final as City claimed the title for the first time. During the 2023–24 season, he helped the club win an unprecedented fourth consecutive Premier League title.
Rodri is a Spain international and former youth international. He made his debut for the senior national team in 2018 and represented his country at two UEFA European Championships (in 2020 and 2024) and two FIFA World Cups (in 2022 and 2026). He won the UEFA Nations League in 2023, being named the best player of the finals tournament, and was an integral part in Spain's victory at Euro 2024, for which he was named Player of the Tournament. Combining his international success with City's achievements, Rodri won the 2024 Ballon d'Or, becoming the first defensive midfielder since Lothar Matthäus in 1990 to receive the award, as well as the second Spanish player and the first City player to do so. At the 2026 World Cup, he won the Golden Ball as Spain claimed their second title.
Rodrigo Hernández Cascante was born on 22 June 1996 in Madrid. He joined Atlético Madrid's youth setup in 2007 aged 11, from CF Rayo Majadahonda. Released in 2013 due to a "lack of physical strength", he subsequently signed with Villarreal.
On 7 February 2015, while still a junior, Rodri made his senior debut for the reserves, coming on as a late substitute in a 3–1 away win against RCD Espanyol B in the Segunda División B. He was handed his first start 15 days later, in a 2–0 victory at Real Zaragoza B.
Rodri made his first-team debut on 17 December 2015, starting in a 2–0 home win against SD Huesca for that season's Copa del Rey. His first La Liga appearance was on 17 April 2016, when he came on as a second-half substitute for Denis Suárez in a 2–1 away loss to Rayo Vallecano.
On 4 December 2017, having already established himself as a regular, Rodri renewed his contract until 2022. He scored his first goal in the Spanish top level on 18 February 2018, the opener in a 1–1 away draw against Espanyol.
On 24 May 2018, Rodri returned to Atlético Madrid after the club reached an agreement with Villarreal for his transfer. He signed a five-year contract with the club, for a fee in the region of €20 million, plus €5 million in variables. He made his debut on 15 August in the 2018 UEFA Super Cup in Tallinn, playing the first 71 minutes of a 4–2 extra-time win over city rivals Real Madrid. He scored his first goal for the club on 10 November 2018, netting in a 3–2 win against Athletic Bilbao.
2019–20 season: First season in England
On 3 July 2019, Manchester City met the terms of Rodri's £62.6 million release clause, enabling him to buy out the remainder of his contract with Atlético and leave the club. The transfer was a new record fee paid by Manchester City. He signed a five-year contract.
Rodri, aged 23, made his debut in the 2019 FA Community Shield on 4 August at Wembley Stadium, playing the full 90 minutes as City won on penalties against Liverpool after a 1–1 draw. He made his Premier League debut against West Ham United six days later in a 5–0 away win, and on 14 September he scored his first goal in a 3–2 away defeat against Norwich City.
It was announced in October 2019 that Rodri would be out for a month due to a hamstring injury. On 1 March 2020, City won the EFL Cup at Wembley Stadium for the third consecutive time, beating Aston Villa 2–1 in the final. Rodri headed in City's second goal from a corner, which ultimately turned out to be the winner.
2020–2024: Premier League success and continental treble
On 13 February 2021, Rodri scored City's first goal from a penalty in a 3–0 home win over Tottenham Hotspur. During the 2021–22 domestic campaign, Rodri had a pass completion count of 82.0 per 90 minutes and a pass completion rate of 91.8% over the course of the whole season. These numbers put Rodri at the top of all midfielders in the Premier League in both categories. Multiplying those two numbers together reveals that on average, Rodri attempted one pass every 60.5 seconds of the season, leading all Premier League midfielders in that category too, with only Liverpool's Thiago coming close.
On 12 July 2022, Rodri agreed to extend his contract with Manchester City until 2027. On 11 April 2023, he scored his first UEFA Champions League goal in a 3–0 home win over Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals first leg. On 10 June, he scored the only goal in the Champions League final against Inter Milan, securing City's win for their first title in the competition, and completing the continental treble. Rodri was named player of the match, and was selected as the tournament's Player of the Season.
On 23 September 2023, Rodri was sent off in a Premier League match against Nottingham Forest for lashing out at Morgan Gibbs-White following a tussle, which sparked a melee. This was Rodri's first red card in the Premier League. City went on to lose each of the three subsequent games (against Wolverhampton Wanderers, Arsenal, and Newcastle) for which he was suspended. After his fifth yellow card against Tottenham, Rodri was suspended as City went on to lose the game again – that time against Aston Villa.
On 19 May 2024, Rodri would score a decisive goal into the bottom corner to ensure Manchester City's 3–1 win over West Ham United on the last match day of the season; City's victory saw them become the first club in English history to lift the league trophy in four consecutive seasons. Additionally, he reached his 50th consecutive undefeated Premier League match with his club, placing him second only to Sol Campbell with 56 games.