Rodri with «Barça»: The dream has become a reality.. «Champions» is our goal

Spain’s World Cup-winning captain Rodri has “realized his dream” by signing with Barcelona, arriving from English club Manchester City. The midfielder told reporters waiting for him at the airport on Tuesday: “I am very happy to have arrived. The past few days have been full-on, but I am happy that everything is settled. Playing for Barcelona is certainly a dream.” He added, “I look forward to being with my teammates, many of whom I already know through the national team. The time has come to work and give my best.” Rodri noted that his goal with Barcelona is to “win the Champions League and everything else within our reach” before leaving the venue.

The 2024 Ballon d’Or winner arrived in Barcelona a day after Manchester City and his future club reached an agreement on a transfer deal valued at approximately 75 million euros, including bonuses, according to Catalan press. The completion of the 30-year-old’s transfer, who was named the best player at the 2026 World Cup after leading La Roja to the title, was one of the most anticipated stories of the current transfer window.

Meanwhile, Deportivo La Coruña missed out on a victory at the start of their return to the Spanish top flight after an eight-year absence, drawing 1-1 with visitors Elche on Tuesday in the opening round. Deportivo took the lead in the 21st minute through new signing Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, assisted by fellow newcomer Lorenzo Amatucci. However, Elche returned to their opponent’s stadium with a point after equalizing in the 76th minute via a header from Marc Aguado following a corner kick.

For his part, Atlético Madrid begins their campaign in the 2026-2027 Spanish league season against Málaga today, despite having the largest number of players who participated in the World Cup final. Meanwhile, Barcelona and Real Madrid have been granted additional time before their opening matches, due to the Metropolitano stadium being booked for three concerts by Canadian singer The Weeknd at the end of August, which prevented Atlético from exercising their right to postpone the start of their season.