Mirth — I think it’s a really interesting question, and not easy to assess.
What I can clearly see though is that Rodri has a larger influence across all aspects of the field than Xavi or Busquets did. He’s great on ball, understands pacing/control, offers attacking output (G+A), and he also has a tremendous presence defensively. Against Argentina all of that was on display, and it was apparent that nearly every 50/50 ball was going to need up with him.
Would Busquets have made this Spain team better? I don’t think so, so I have Rodri ahead of Busquets.
Would Xavi? That’s a harder question and comparison.
