City Watch: Rodri stars as Spain reach World Cup Final

Following another fairly quiet week on the Manchester City front, I thought I’d once again turn our attention to the World Cup and how the Blues’ stars are getting on as we edge ever closer to the final.

I’ll leave England to the other column as much as possible, but it’s impossible not to mention that Marc Guehi and Nico O’Reilly both find themselves just one game away from a World Cup Final. O’Reilly has undoubtedly been one of the breakout stars of the tournament and has looked completely unfazed by the occasion despite his age. Every opportunity Thomas Tuchel has given him, he’s taken with both hands, and it’s difficult to imagine England’s run being quite as successful without him.

Marc Guehi, meanwhile, has been calm, composed and dependable throughout the tournament, and if England can make it all the way to Sunday’s final, both players will have played a huge part in getting them there.

The standout City player this week, though, has to be Rodri. Watching Spain dismantle one of the tournament favourites in France on Tuesday was a timely reminder of just how special he is. 

It genuinely felt like watching the Rodri we all became accustomed to before that awful ACL injury in 2024. He completely dominated the midfield from the first whistle, dictated the tempo, broke up attacks with ease and seemed to make the game look effortless once again.

For City supporters, that performance will have been every bit as pleasing as Spain reaching the final. We all saw how much the team missed him during his lengthy spell on the sidelines, and there were always going to be questions over whether he’d be able to reach those extraordinary standards again. Tuesday’s performance went a long way towards answering them.

It also serves as a reminder that City have some important business to do away from the pitch. Rodri now has just one year remaining on his current contract, and after producing performances like that on the biggest stage, there will be no shortage of clubs who would love the opportunity to steal him away from Manchester. For me, extending his contract should be one of the club’s biggest priorities before the new season gets underway.

There was disappointment for Rayan Cherki, whose World Cup came to an end as France were comfortably beaten by Spain in the semi-finals. It wasn’t the tournament he would have hoped for personally, with opportunities mostly coming from the bench, but at just 22 years old there’s no doubt he’ll have many more chances to make his mark on the international stage.

With England still represented by City duo Nico O’Reilly and Marc Guehi, and Rodri looking every bit back to his world-class best, there is still plenty for Blues fans to keep an eye on before attention finally turns back to pre-season and Enzo Maresca’s first campaign in charge.