Aug. 16, 2026, 7:08 p.m. ET
Rodri is starting a new chapter.
The Golden Ball winner at this summer’s World Cup is transferring to FC Barcelona, according to multiple reports on Sunday, Aug. 16. The Spanish star will reportedly join the La Liga club after being with Manchester City since 2019. He has one more year left on his contract with the Premier League side where he won four league titles and the 2022-23 Champions League.
ESPN reports that Manchester City accepted an offer of $88.5 million (€76.5 million or £65.3 million) in the third round of negotiations after rejecting FC Barcelona’s previous two deals for the 2024 Ballon d’Or winner. BBC adds that the deal is expected to be for four years.
Rodri joined Manchester City from Atletico Madrid for $85.1 million (£62.8 million), which was a record for the Citizens at the time.
The midfielder, who served as Spain’s captain at the World Cup, was named the player of the tournament after La Roja defeated defending champion Argentina 1-0 for its second men’s title. He won 11 duels in the semifinal match against France and is the 11th player to win the World Cup, Champions League and Ballon d’Or.
He joins Spain teammates Lamine Yamal, Eric García, Pau Cubarsí, Pedri, Gavi, Dani Olmo and Joan García on Barça, which won back-to-back La Liga championships this spring. After the World Cup, the club lost Ferran Torres (Paris Saint-Germain), Marcus Rashford (Manchester United) and Robert Lewandowski (Chicago Fire).
– Contributing: James Powel