Rodri: the triumph of the new normal

"I always try to tell the kids: hey, there's no need to be crazy... you can be normal people like me. And I don't have social media, so people don't know me very well." This is how Rodrigo Hernández Cascante, also known as Rodri, introduced himself to the microphones just a few minutes after receiving the most precious ball for a football player from the hands of a Drogba version of an assist man. After a series of rumors that circulated in the afternoon, Vinicius Jr. did not leave Madrid for Paris, and with him remained in Spain all his Real Madrid teammates included in the list, from Bellingham to Carvajal to Mbappé.

The first Ballon d'Or of the post-Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo era did not go to a representative of the new generation, a class of 2000 ready to take the spotlight, but to a player in perfect contrast with the new trends. While Vini used his social media profiles to express all his anger over a decision that, according to him and all Real Madrid fans, was unjust, Rodri did not share his joy in any way before going on stage. Simply because he currently has no social media accounts, not on Instagram, not on X, and certainly not on TikTok.

While football players are becoming more and more obsessed with fashion and their clothes, Rodri showed up at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris wearing a variety show presenter's suit with a slim tie, with the same haircut he had when he was cut from the Atletico Madrid Academy for being considered too frail to become a professional. And Rodri arrived on stage on crutches, after pushing his body to the limit in an unreal series of games leading Manchester City's midfield, not losing for 474 days. It's almost ironic that the new Ballon d'Or winner got injured just a few days after complaining about the unsustainable schedule, perhaps for the first time when he saw football as a limit and not as a drug, as he himself defined it on The Player's Tribune.

Rodri's passion for football has made him boring, almost transparent beyond his crucial role on the field, the classic good, studious guy who lived in a university dorm while making his debut in LaLiga with Villareal's jersey. But Rodri didn't let himself be pigeonholed by his stereotype, becoming a leader and mentor for the new Spanish generation with whom he lifted another European trophy in June. Another triumph in a already legendary career, but one that was missing a new chapter, this time dedicated solely to him. Walking up on crutches to receive an award that probably just a year ago would have been unimaginable, Rodri entered a very exclusive circle of world-class players with the tranquility and humility that have defined his career, without Instagram live streams or cutting-edge fit checks. Is football entering its New Normal aesthetic?