Rodrigo Hernández Cascante (born 22 June 1996), known as Rodri, is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for Manchester City and the Spain national team. He is widely regarded as the best midfielder in the world. In 2024, he achieved the pinnacle of individual success by winning the Ballon d'Or, becoming the first defensive midfielder to do so since Lothar Matthäus in 1990, and the first Manchester City player ever to win the award. Rodri is the tactical brain of Pep Guardiola's Manchester City. He went on a world-record unbeaten streak of 74 games for club and country between 2023 and 2024. He scored the winning goal in the 2023 Champions League final and was named Player of the Tournament at Euro 2024, which Spain won. He suffered a major ACL injury in September 2024, which sidelined him for the rest of that season, but he returned in late 2025 to reclaim his dominance. Unlike most peers, Rodri has no social media presence, lives a quiet life, and holds a degree in Management and Business Administration, famously living in university dorms while playing in La Liga.