BERLIN (AP) — Spain midfielder Rodri, who played only half the game, called it the best day of his career. Spain faced a tough moment when Rodri had to leave the European Championship final against England at halftime due to an injury, with the score tied at 0-0.
Rodri felt something was off in his leg after bumping into teammate Robin Le Normand and knew he couldn’t go on after trying to sprint. However, any worries about a decline in performance were quickly eased when Nico Williams scored shortly after the break. Later, substitute Mikel Oyarzabal added another goal, leading Spain to a 2-1 victory and securing their fourth European title.
“I’m so overwhelmed; this is definitely the best day of my career,” Rodri said after receiving the player of the tournament award. Earlier in June, he played a crucial role in helping Manchester City win the Champions League, scoring the only goal in the final against Inter Milan.
On Sunday, Rodri was substituted at halftime for Real Sociedad midfielder Martin Zubimendi, who is known as one of the top holding midfielders in La Liga but had not yet played internationally. Zubimendi excelled in the match, winning all his tackles and achieving a higher passing accuracy than Rodri.
“You can see the family we’ve built… Now we are the national team that has won the most European Championships,” Rodri stated, highlighting Spain’s young talents. Nico Williams, just 22, and Lamine Yamal, who turned 17 on Saturday, received the player of the match and young player of the tournament awards, respectively.
“Many of us have won Under-19 and Under-21 European Championships, and this success is the result of hard work and dedication,” Rodri added. “Today, we are champions of Europe, and this is just the beginning for us.”