Rodri discussed the main difference between facing Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi as he named the greatest player of all time in an interview with Spanish TV.
The 28-year-old, who will miss the remainder of the season after undergoing knee surgery, has conducted a handful of interviews since winning the Ballon d'Or on October 28.
And on Wednesday night, the Manchester City and Spain midfielder opened up on beating Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior to the prestigious award during a lengthy chat with El Hormiguero.
"Three weeks prior, there was a rumour that Vinicius was going to win, but we were told we wouldn’t know until the envelope was opened," he said.
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"I thought it had been leaked. I went to the gala without any optimism about winning, but just before arriving in Paris, many people started congratulating me, and I didn't know why. I didn’t even have a speech prepared, but my father told me to prepare something just in case I won. The words just came out naturally."
He added: "I had no idea until the envelope was opened. I received 500-600 messages regarding my injury, and after winning, there were hundreds more. Among them was Iniesta’s message, and I made sure to respond to that one.
"I wanted to pay tribute to all those who deserved it and didn’t win, many of whom played alongside Messi and Cristiano."
On the subject of Messi and Ronaldo, Rodri was asked for his take on the much-discussed GOAT debate – and it's fair to say his answer brought plenty of discussion amongst fans online.
"Lionel Messi is the greatest player of all time, without any doubt," he said.
"Cristiano has managed to match Messi without innate talent. But those of us who have played against them can see the difference. We didn’t want Cristiano to step into the box because he was lethal there. But with Messi, the danger was everywhere on the pitch."
He added: "When Messi got the ball, you’d think: 'Oh, danger'. When I first started playing against him, I tried to take the ball from him, and he dodged you as if you were a bull in the ring. The feeling I had was that something bad was about to happen."
Here's how fans on social media reacted to Rodri's comments.
One said: "That narrative Ronaldo has no natural talent must be stopped. How can he have no talent and be a footballer?. You must be talented in order to be one. Messi is more talented than Ronaldo agreed but to say he had no natural talent is bs."
A second wrote: "This 'Ronaldo had no natural talent' narrative is just stupid," and another commented: "Rodri has elite ball knowledge."
A fourth said: "Rodri's been speaking too much since his Ballon d'Or," while a fifth added: "He’s basically saying with Ronaldo, you only worry in the box. With Messi, you start worrying the second he steps off the team bus. Either way, the stress is real."
Let us know your thoughts on the GOAT debate in the comments.
Topics: Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Rodri, Manchester City, Spain
Jack Kenmare