Rodri v Zubimendi – the battle for a Spain spot

Madrid – When Martin Zubimendi threw himself in front of Rodri’s goal-bound strike during Sunday’s Carabao Cup final, the block preserved Arsenal’s fleeting hope and underlined why the two Spaniards are now wrestling for the same World Cup starting place as fiercely as they duelled at Wembley. City prevailed 2-0, but the rivalry merely shifted venue: on Monday both players checked in at Spain’s Las Rozas headquarters ahead of friendlies against Serbia and Egypt, bringing the club-level duel into Luis de la Fuente’s squad meeting room.

The national-team narrative is impossible to avoid. Since taking charge in March 2023, De la Fuente has handed 3,300 competitive minutes to his midfield; only 268 were played without either Rodri or Zubimendi on the pitch. The coach has fielded questions so frequently that he now answers before they are asked.

“After all the setbacks he went through, Rodrigo is back at a high level,” De la Fuente told TVE. “I’ve said he is the best in the world, but we are very fortunate. In the number-six role we have the two best players in the world: Rodrigo and Martin. Can they play together? Of course they can play together.”

Yet theory and practice diverge. The only time both shared the pitch was the 93rd-minute cameo in the Euro 2024 semi-final against France. For the rest of De la Fuente’s tenure, it has been one or the other. Rodri, long considered undroppable and influential inside the dressing room, last started in September 2024 against Switzerland before a knee-ligament injury sidelined him. During his absence, Zubimendi’s seamless orchestration of possession and new-found goal threat have complicated the hierarchy.

The symbolism was not lost on Rodri. Upon learning the diagnosis, he texted Zubimendi: “I’m leaving you the keys of the team.” Four months later, he is unsure whether they will be returned. “That sounds familiar,” Rodri said. “It was not so long ago that it was Busquets and me. It’s a joy to have players of such a high level.”

De la Fuente’s preferred midfield triangle – a single pivot behind an eight and a ten – appears to leave room for only one natural six. Switching to a double pivot is feasible, yet the coach must also weigh Pedri, Fermín López and Fabián Ruiz, all of whom press claims for minutes. Replicating Luis Enrique’s 2022 World Cup solution, where Rodri slotted into central defence, is not on the agenda this summer.

“Only 11 can start,” De la Fuente reminded listeners on the Despejados podcast. “They may occupy a similar role, but they are different players. Martin is getting into the box more now and scoring goals, yet he also has balance and tactical awareness. Rodri has those same qualities.”

Spain have navigated such tension before. In 2010, Vicente del Bosque fused Xabi Alonso and emerging Sergio Busquets in a double pivot en route to World Cup glory, despite internal scepticism. Del Bosque recalled: “In Madrid they said Alonso had to play; in Catalonia they said Busquets. Even within the squad some felt we should only play one. But we believed our core was essential.”

De la Fuente may soon face an identical crossroads. Friday’s meeting with Serbia in Villarreal will offer the first public hint of his leanings, yet the final verdict will also be shaped by events 1,500 kilometres north. The Premier League title duel between Arsenal and City – and the form of each midfielder within it – could yet tilt the scales before Spain board their flights to the World Cup.

For now, the contest remains respectful but unmistakably fierce: two compatriots, one shirt, and a summer stage waiting to crown either Rodri’s resurgence or Zubimendi’s ascension.