Spain national team coach Luis de la Fuente publicly ranks midfield talent following Spain’s World Cup win, naming Manchester City’s Rodri as the top midfielder and Arsenal’s Martin Zubimendi as the second-best. The remarks place Zubimendi directly behind Rodri in de la Fuente’s current assessment of the world’s midfielders. Multiple reports describe the comments as focused on midfield and, in at least one account, specifically on the defensive midfielder role. The discussion is framed by Spain’s tournament performance: Rodri is cited as having played a key part in the World Cup final against Argentina, where Spain wins, and as receiving individual tournament recognition, described in one source as the Golden Ball. The sources note that the comments have generated debate among football observers, though they do not cite any agreed-upon consensus for or against de la Fuente’s ranking. Overall, the reporting centers on de la Fuente’s two names—Rodri first and Zubimendi second—and the reaction to his evaluation after the World Cup.