Ibrahimović hails Rodri's World Cup comeback after ACL nightmare: 'He puts out fires'

Zlatan Ibrahimović has singled out Spain midfielder Rodri as one of the standout figures at the 2026 World Cup, lauding his recovery from a career-threatening ACL injury and his all-encompassing influence on La Roja’s run to the semi-finals.

“He’s a player that doesn’t get a lot of credit, gets unseen, but [he] won the Ballon d’Or, which is not normal for the position that he plays in,” Ibrahimović said following Spain’s semi-final victory over France. The former striker, who suffered a serious knee injury himself during his playing career, added that Rodri not only “puts players around him on fire” but can also “put out fires” — a nod to the midfielder’s rare ability to both drive attacks and stabilise his team under pressure.

Rodri ruptured his ACL while playing for Manchester City in 2024, missing the remainder of that club season and Spain’s successful Euro 2024 campaign. He made his competitive return in May 2025, coming off the bench in the 85th minute of City’s 3-1 win over Bournemouth to a standing ovation from the Etihad crowd.

The recovery has clearly been complete. At this World Cup, Rodri has started every game for Spain and played almost every minute of the tournament, sitting out just three minutes across the entirety of the competition. That level of availability and consistency represents a significant milestone for a player whose participation in the tournament was far from guaranteed just months ago.

Spain are now through to the semi-finals, with Rodri’s engine-room presence central to their campaign as they chase a first World Cup title since 2010.