Written by Megan Taylor, sports reporter covering international sports since 2020
Rodri entered one of football's most exclusive groups on Sunday, July 19, after Spain defeated Argentina 1-0 in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final at New York New Jersey Stadium. The victory added the World Cup to his European Championship, UEFA Champions League and Ballon d'Or honours, completing a set achieved by only six men's players.
The Spain and Manchester City midfielder joined Franz Beckenbauer, Gerd Muller, Zinedine Zidane, Rivaldo, Ronaldinho and Lionel Messi.
Spain's victory also added to the debate surrounding Argentina after the World Cup final, when the result carried meaning beyond the score.
The question was neatly framed by reader Owen Bagnall: “Adding the World Cup to his résumé means Rodri has now won the World Cup, the European Championship, the Champions League, and the Ballon d’Or,” writes Owen Bagnall. “Has anyone else ‘completed football’ like this?”
Rodri Completes a Rare Four-Trophy Set
Franz Beckenbauer and Gerd Muller were the first players to collect the four prizes. They completed the set on July 7, 1974, when West Germany defeated the Netherlands in the World Cup final, with Gerd Muller scoring the winning goal.
Both players had already helped Bayern Munich win the 1974 European Cup and West Germany claim the 1972 European Championship. Gerd Muller won the 1970 Ballon d'Or, while Franz Beckenbauer received the award in 1972.
Zinedine Zidane became the third member when Real Madrid won the 2002 UEFA Champions League. His famous final goal against Bayer Leverkusen followed France's 1998 World Cup, his 1998 Ballon d'Or and the 2000 European Championship.
Rivaldo completed his collection with AC Milan's 2003 UEFA Champions League victory after winning the 1999 Copa America, the 1999 Ballon d'Or and the 2002 World Cup. He was an unused substitute in the final against Juventus but had appeared earlier in the tournament.
Ronaldinho also collected the four honours, beginning with Brazil's 1999 Copa America success. He later won the 2002 World Cup, the 2005 Ballon d'Or and the 2006 UEFA Champions League with Barcelona.
Lionel Messi's path took longer at international level. After winning the UEFA Champions League with Barcelona and his first Ballon d'Or in 2009, he added the 2021 Copa America and the 2022 World Cup with Argentina.
Rodri's sequence began with Manchester City's 2023 UEFA Champions League win. Spain's UEFA Euro 2024 title and his 2024 Ballon d'Or followed before the 2026 World Cup completed the quartet.
Only Franz Beckenbauer assembled the set faster, doing so within two years. Rodri's achievement is also backed by individual performance, with FIFA naming him the 2026 World Cup Golden Ball winner.
Women's Stars Still Chasing the Full Collection
No woman has yet won the equivalent four titles, partly because the Ballon d'Or Feminin was introduced only in 2018. Alexia Putellas and Aitana Bonmati have won five of the first seven awards between them, and both already hold UEFA Women's Champions League and FIFA Women's World Cup medals.
Their next opportunity to add a European Championship will arrive in 2029. Megan Rapinoe won the 2019 Ballon d'Or Feminin, two World Cups and the Concacaf W Championship, but did not win a continental club title.
Michael Olise Sets New World Cup Assist Mark
The 2026 tournament also produced a new single-edition assist record, based on figures available from 1966 onward. France creator Michael Olise registered seven assists, moving past Pele's six for Brazil in 1970.
Robert Gadocha, Pierre Littbarski, Diego Maradona and Thomas Hassler share the next mark with five assists in one tournament. Bruno Guimaraes, Brahim Diaz, Lionel Messi, Martin Odegaard and Kylian Mbappe each recorded four in 2026.
Lionel Messi also moved to the top of the known all-time World Cup assist list with 12 across tournaments from 2006 to 2026. Diego Maradona is next with eight, while Michael Olise reached seven in his first World Cup.
David Beckham remains England's leading World Cup provider with six assists. Harry Kane has four, while Bukayo Saka and Anthony Gordon have three each.
Ballon d'Or Winners With the Fewest Caps
Omar Sivori holds the lowest international appearance total among Ballon d'Or winners. The 1961 recipient played 19 times for Argentina and nine times for Italy, finishing with 28 caps.
Luis Suarez won 32 caps for Spain, Igor Belanov collected 33 for the Soviet Union and George Best made 37 appearances for Northern Ireland. International schedules were shorter during their careers, leaving many early winners with totals that appear unusually low today.
Among multiple Ballon d'Or winners, Alfredo Di Stefano recorded the fewest caps with 41 across Argentina, Colombia and Spain. Johan Cruyff played 48 times for the Netherlands, while Marco van Basten finished with 58.
Where World Cup Match Balls Go
FIFA used 3,240 balls during the 2014 World Cup, including 20 personalised balls for each match and 20 training balls for every team. The balls carried the competing teams, venue and date.
After the tournament, many became souvenirs for teams, referees, host cities, FIFA partners and the FIFA Museum. Adidas also supplied selected balls to national marketing teams, with some later offered to supporters through social media giveaways.
The FIFA Museum's official collection includes match balls from across World Cup history. For Rodri, however, the newest trophy in his collection now carries far greater meaning than any souvenir.