Man City's Rodri shares similar situation he has to Andres Iniesta and Xavi

Rodri is arguably the best defensive midfielder in the world right now. Rodri is also regarded as one of the world's best players based on his impact on Manchester City. Rodri has been important to the team, like Kevin De Bruyne and Erling Haaland. Rodri was acknowledged for his performances when he was named the Champions League's Player of the Season by UEFA for an amazing 2022/2023 season.

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Last month, FIFA held their The Best awards and named the best players in the world for their performances last year. The FIFPro World XI included six Manchester City players in the lineup. John Stones, Kyle Walker, Ruben Dias, Bernardo Silva, Kevin De Bruyne, and Erling Haaland were named in the starting eleven. Thibaut Courtois, Jude Bellingham, Vinicius Jr, Kylian Mbappe, and Lionel Messi were included in the World XI as well.

Ederson was named The Best Goalkeeper for 2023, but many Man City fans were confused about not hearing Rodri's name in the ceremony. After winning the best player award for his Champions League performance last season, football fans believed Rodri should have been included in the World XI. Some suggested he replace Bellingham since the judging for the World XI started in late 2022 and continued until the summer of 2023. Rodri finally broke the silence about missing out on any nominations.

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Rodri compares him missing out on nominations to the likes of Iniesta and Xavi

In an interview with The Mirror, Rodri says, "I am not surprised. This is normal. I understand very well how things work in these individual awards. They are based on marketing, money, and advertising. There have been midfielders before who were also Spanish [Iniesta and Xavi] who did not get what they deserved. Do you understand what I mean? What ultimately matters to me in football Is what I achieved collectively."

Iniesta and Xavi were nominated for the 2010 Balon d'Or award against Lionel Messi. Many football fans suggested the two Spanish midfielders should've been ahead of Messi for their Barcelona performances and winning the 2010 World Cup with Spain. Messi won the award; Iniesta placed 2nd while Xavi placed 3rd.