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Rodri Wins Golden Ball; Barcelona Sets Álvarez Deadline

7/20/2026

43 6 Full Breakdown

Summary

Story summary

Rodri captained Spain to a 1-0 World Cup win against Argentina in New Jersey and earned the Golden Ball.
He added the Golden Ball to his 2024 Ballon d’Or after an ACL rupture in September 2024.
Rodri will postpone any extension decision while Manchester City eye Lille midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi as a £85 million (€100 million) replacement.
Barcelona gave Atlético Madrid a July 31 deadline to accept their €100 million offer for Julián Álvarez.

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Story summary

Rodri captained Spain to a 1-0 World Cup win against Argentina in New Jersey and earned the Golden Ball.
He added the Golden Ball to his 2024 Ballon d’Or after an ACL rupture in September 2024.
Rodri will postpone any extension decision while Manchester City eye Lille midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi as a £85 million (€100 million) replacement.
Barcelona gave Atlético Madrid a July 31 deadline to accept their €100 million offer for Julián Álvarez.