While his teammates share a life of luxury with millions of followers on social media, perhaps the world’s best footballer lives anonymously. Now he can lead Spain to EC gold. Spain’s vice-captain, Rodrigo Hernández Cascante, better known as “Rodri”, lives an anonymous life despite his status as the world’s best midfielder.
Rodri focuses on the sport and the family, in contrast to other footballers who live in luxury. He has led Manchester City to several trophies and is now about to lead Spain to a historic European Championship gold. Rodri is more concerned with his achievements on the field than with awards such as the Ballon d’Or, which he is currently a candidate to win.
– I am a normal boy, nothing else. The words belong to Spain’s Rodrigo Hernández Cascante, better known as Rodri. A lot has happened on the field since the interview with Spanish Marca back in 2019. Then he gave an insight into the anonymous life the football star apparently lives.
He is a very ordinary person and does not want to be a star like other footballers, says sports journalist Jose Antonio Espina, who has met Rodri several times. At the moment, he is a hot candidate to be named the world’s best footballer. Among other things because, in the opinion of many, he is the most important player in Manchester City’s star gallery, which collects trophy after trophy.
And not least because he can lead his home country to his fourth Euro gold on Sunday evening. There is no doubt that he is the world’s best midfielder. For Spain, he is the team’s most important player and the great leader. Without him, they are nothing, says Espina, who believes rising stars Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams get to shine a lot because of Rodri.
The Spanish journalist and author Guillem Balagué also recognizes his compatriot’s achievements. – Rodri has probably been the best player in the world throughout this season, says Balagué. Off the field, less has happened for Spain’s captain. At least compared to his colleagues. The 28-year-old has a weekly salary of £220.000, according to Team Talk.
But where the teammates give an insight into their luxurious lifestyles with sports cars and fancy watches to millions of followers, there is little to suggest that Rodri is a multi-millionaire and world-renowned. He thinks nothing of the lifestyle of other footballers. He only wants to focus on the sport and his family, says Espina. The midfielder is not on either Instagram or X (Twitter). On the other hand, he has spent time studying economics while living in student accommodation, while also traveling the world as a footballer. He doesn’t have tattoos, and on the pitch he always plays with the shirt down in his shorts. He is old-fashioned, but that is how he wants to be seen. He doesn’t want anything that distracts him from what is actually important, says Balagué.
The fact that he has also allegedly driven around in “cheap” and old cars means that several supporters refer to him as one of the most humble footballers in the world – on the platforms he does not use himself. For me, it is important to keep my feet on the ground, especially considering the world we live in. I have always been very normal, and that is the way I want to live my life, Rodri explained to Marca in 2019. In his home country, few people know much about Spain’s vice-captain.
He is very little in the media. People don’t know anything about his private life, says Espina, who gives a little insight: – He is not like other footballers who do not say hello to others. He is very kind, and asks to hear about other people’s lives. And it is true that he drives around in a cheap family car. It is his way of living, says Espina.
With four straight Premier League titles in a row, “the treble” last year and now the EC final with Spain, Rodri is highly likely to win the Ballon d’OR. Among the bookmakers, he is one of the three hottest candidates to win the prestigious award. The other two are the Real Madrid duo Jude Bellingham (opponents in the Euro final meeting with England) and Vinicius Junior from Brazil. – He deserves to win, but he’s not going to do it. That’s not how that price works, and that’s sad, says Espina.
Balagué believes one thing in particular is ruining Rodri’s chances of being named the world’s best footballer. – Because he is not “sexy enough” and the fact that there is not enough marketing around him, someone else will probably win it, the journalist believes. But it is questionable whether Rodri is so concerned about which name will be read out at the gala at the end of October.
He honestly doesn’t care about such prices. Unlike others, such as for example Vinicius. I’m sure he cried because the chance of winning (Ballon d’Or) was reduced by Brazil’s exit from the Copa America, says Jose Antonio Espina.
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