He only played the first half, but Spain midfielder Rodri described it as the greatest day of his career.
Spain seemed to face a setback when Rodri left the European Championship final against England at halftime due to an unspecified injury, with the score tied 0-0.
Rodri mentioned feeling something strange in his leg after colliding with teammate Robin Le Normand, realizing he couldn’t continue after attempting a sprint.
However, any concerns of a drop in performance in the second half were dispelled when Nico Williams scored shortly after halftime. Substitute Mikel Oyarzabal later sealed Spain’s 2-1 victory, securing their fourth European title.
“Goodness me, what a day. This is definitely the best day of my career,” Rodri exclaimed after receiving the tournament’s player award.
Rodri had recently helped Manchester City win the Champions League in June, scoring the only goal in the final against Inter Milan.
At halftime, Rodri was substituted by Real Sociedad midfielder Martin Zubimendi, known as one of Spain’s top defensive midfielders in the domestic league but lacking international experience. Zubimendi rose to the occasion admirably, winning all his tackles and boasting a higher passing accuracy than Rodri.
“You can see the bond we’ve created… Now we’re the national team with the most European Championships,” Rodri said, acknowledging Spain’s young talents in particular — Williams, aged 22, and Lamine Yamal, who turned 17 the day before, won the player of the match and young player of the tournament awards, respectively.
“Many of us here have won Under-19 and Under-21 European Championships, and this is something you cultivate and strive for,” Rodri noted. “Today, we’re European champions and we won’t stop here.”
