The Golden Ball, a surgery & a move to Madrid: Manchester City’s Rodri problem just got real

Last Updated on 23 July 2026

He lifted the World Cup trophy, won the Golden Ball and he was, by almost universal consensus, the best player at the 2026 tournament.

And within 24 hours of Spain’s final whistle at the World Cup, Rodri’s future had become the most consequential transfer story of the summer: complicated immediately by the revelation that he had played the entire tournament through a back injury that now requires surgery.

Manchester City have a problem. It is a significant one.

Rodri’s Real Madrid push, and Manchester City’s difficult position

According to the Daily Mail, Rodri is pushing for a move to Real Madrid after winning the World Cup with Spain, with growing support for the transfer at the Bernabeu following his performances. Reportedly, Rodri has given the green light to Real Madrid.

In fact, he has also reached a contractual agreement, with Florentino Perez now significantly more open to his arrival than he was before the tournament began. The next step is negotiations between the clubs, a process City will make as difficult as possible.

Rodri himself has barely disguised his feelings. “You can’t turn down the best clubs in the world,” he said earlier this year. “The Bernabeu is always incredible, a stadium that’s very imposing.” Pep Guardiola, even before leaving the Etihad, acknowledged the situation.

City’s new manager Enzo Maresca now inherits that situation, with one year left on Rodri’s contract and no reported willingness from the midfielder to extend his stay at the Etihad. For what it’s worth, City have not been idle. They signed Elliott Anderson for £116 million.

Rodri’s surgery that explains everything and raises new questions

Rodri is now set to undergo back surgery, with the procedure required after a back injury that sources indicate was present throughout the World Cup. The midfielder suffered ACL ligament damage in September 2024, sidelining him for almost the entire 2024-25 season.

Hamstring and groin issues further hampered his comeback. He was limited to 33 appearances across all competitions including just 17 Premier League starts. Guardiola later admitted publicly that Rodri had returned too quickly, before leaving City himself at the end.

Rodri’s back injury now explains what many watching City had observed all season: a player who looked occasionally laboured, lacking the explosive recovery pace that had defined his best football. Whether that assessment proves accurate after surgery remains to be seen.

Rodri’s transfer situation also carries implications beyond his own career, his departure could directly affect Real Madrid’s decision-making around Aurelien Tchouameni and Eduardo Camavinga, with several clubs already monitoring both players amid the uncertainty.

One transfer, cascading through the summer market. Rodri won the Golden Ball. He played through a back injury to do it. And now the club that built their modern dynasty around him must decide whether they are negotiating a new contract or a sale.