After winning back-to-back La Liga titles, Barcelona went out and signed the best defensive midfielder in the world, locking down Rodri for the next four years.

Midfield was hardly an area of concern for the defending Spanish champions this summer; Hansi Flick has a stacked engine room, so much so that La Masia graduates are lining up moves out of Catalonia just to sniff some playing time.

But Barcelona clearly felt passing up on the 2026 World Cup Golden Ball winner was not an option, no matter who was already in their ranks. Rodri, now under contract until June 2030, immediately elevates what is already considered the best midfield in Spain, adding even more danger to a team that lifted five titles in the last two seasons.

The benefits to such a high-profile transfer are clear as day for Barcelona, but not every player in the dressing room will be happy to see Rodri arrive.

Winners

Pau Cubarsí

Pau Cubarsí got to see what life is like playing with Rodri at the 2026 World Cup, and the young center back is no doubt thrilled to now have the midfielder as his club teammate as well. The two played vital roles in helping Spain concede just one goal in eight matches this summer.

Rodri acted as the perfect disruptor in the middle of the park, snuffing out counter attacks before they could even reach Cubarsí at the back. There were few players this summer that could get past the 30-year-old in transition, and those that did had to contend with Cubarsí.

In the event the 19-year-old, who was named the Young Player of the Tournament, needed help, Rodri was always there, dropping back as an additional center back to shore-up Spain’s backline. The 2024 Ballon d’Or winner completed 24 tackles at the World Cup, the most by any player.

Now Cubarsí gets that same type of help at Barcelona, where he is so often towing the line between brilliance and disaster with Flick’s infamous high line.

Pedri

Criticism hardly ever finds Pedri, who has been Barcelona’s tempo-setter and best midfielder for the last few years. Yet his form dipped in the second half of 2025–26, and he failed to recover it at the World Cup, so much so that Luis de la Fuente kept the 23-year-old out of his XI for the quarterfinals, semifinals and final.

Fatigue played a large role in Pedri’s quasi-downfall. The Spaniard made 59 appearances in 2024–25 and then 43 last season, hardly ever getting a chance to rest unless he was injured. He also was working with a revolving door of partners, from Frenkie de Jong and Gavi to Eric García and Marc Bernal.

Rodri’s arrival finally gives Pedri some stability in the middle of the park, as well as the license to roam. The two also got the perfect test run this summer, learning what works—and more importantly, what doesn’t—when playing alongside one another.

A player as sensational as Rodri will only help elevate Pedri’s game, which already has very few cracks.

Hansi Flick

Perhaps the biggest winner, though, is Flick. Since the German boss arrived in Catalonia ahead of the 2024–25 season, he has been working with a young squad without much of a budget to sign superstar talent due to Barcelona’s financial restraints.

Yet Flick still led the Catalans to back-to-back La Liga and Spanish Super Cup triumphs, as well as the 2024–25 Copa del Rey title. The one thing missing remains lifting the Champions League trophy, and now the manager has the best No. 6 in the world to help him achieve that goal.

The best part? Flick doesn’t have to worry about easing Rodri into his squad or the Spanish top-flight. The midfielder came up at Villarreal and then represented Atlético Madrid before he joined Manchester City. He knows the league, the language and many of his new teammates, who he just won a World Cup with this summer.

Rodri also brings experience to Flick’s dressing room, filling the gaps left behind by veteran voices Iñigo Martínez and Ronald Araújo. And if there’s one thing Flick loves, it’s a player with leadership.

Losers

Frenkie de Jong

De Jong’s summer is just getting worse and worse. The midfielder crashed out of the World Cup in the round of 32 with the Netherlands, then suffered a MCL injury in his right knee and now, has to welcome Rodri to Catalonia while he is sidelined, unable to even fight for his place in the XI.

The new signing will no doubt slot into De Jong’s place alongside Pedri in Flick’s double pivot, a position he will likely hold even when the Dutchman returns from injury. No matter how good De Jong is, he is simply not Rodri.

De Jong already found himself competing for playing time with Gavi at the end of last season, and now he has to add Rodri into the mix. It’s the worst case scenario for the 29-year-old.

Gavi

In the same vein, Gavi is also now facing an uphill battle to log consistent minutes. Since he returned from his ACL injury in March, the Spaniard enjoyed a strong end to 2025–26, taking De Jong’s place in the XI.

Gavi was in line to pick up where he left off in 2026–27, considering De Jong is in for a lengthy layoff yet again. But Rodri’s arrival pushes him to the bench.

The good news is Flick is a known admirer of Gavi, and has always thrown his full support behind the Spaniard. The German boss will be keen to give the midfielder as many minutes as possible, even if a majority has to come in the Copa del Rey or unimportant La Liga clashes.

Real Madrid

Where there’s Barcelona, there’s typically Real Madrid—and in this case, the latter are left licking their wounds. The 15-time European champions were the frontrunners to sign Rodri this summer; the midfielder was born in the Spanish capital and previously flirted with joining Los Blancos.

Yet Barcelona then entered the race and completely hijacked Rodri’s signature. Real Madrid were counting on the newly crowned world champion to finally replace the departed Toni Kroos, but now they are once again left without a deep-lying playmaker for the third season in a row.

The only midfield reinforcement José Mourinho brought in this summer is Rodri’s former Manchester City teammate Bernardo Silva. The Portugal international is likely not enough to solve the team’s persistent midfield woes, leaving Los Blancos in another poor position to compete for the Spanish crown.