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Rodri sets new FIFA World Cup pass record with 655. Spain advances, France’s Deschamps exits, Mbappé misses final.
Rodri celebrates in front of Belgium goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois (1) during the World Cup quarterfinal (Picture credit: AP)
Star Manchester City midfielder Rodri on Tuesday completed a whopping 655 passes at the ongoing FIFA World Cup, the most by a footballer in a single edition of the tournament, since records started in 1966.
Rodri himself had held the record till date, having completed 638 passes at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. That year, he broke compatriot Xavi Hernandez’s record of 599, which the latter had completed in the 2010 tournament in South Africa.
Spain won their only FIFA World Cup title in 2010, till date, and now find themselves in another summit showdown, awaiting either Argentina or England.
655 – Rodri has completed 655 passes at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the most by a player in a single edition on record since 1966.Artist. pic.twitter.com/tYDtdHA923
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) July 15, 2026
With the supply lines from midfield severed by Spain’s talented triumvirate of Rodri, Dani Olmo and Fabian Ruiz, France were left firing blanks.
Meanwhile, Didier Deschamps will leave his post as France manager with a sense of unfulfilled promise after a campaign that, for the past five weeks, had appeared destined to end in a win.
Instead, it concluded in bitter disappointment, denying Deschamps the fairytale finish that once seemed within reach.
It will also leave many wondering how Deschamps couldn’t come up with a tactical game plan to counter Spain’s renowned passing game.
Having already guided France to FIFA World Cup glory in 2018 and come within a penalty shootout of bagging a second title in 2022, Deschamps seemed destined for a fitting farewell in New Jersey.
Mbappé, meanwhile, was left to rue a campaign that ended sooner than expected. A win on Tuesday would have seen the 27-year-old become just the second footballer in history, after Brazil’s Cafu (1994, 1998 and 2002), to feature in three FIFA World Cup finals.
Instead, the Real Madrid star will be heading to Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium with France to play in the dreaded bronze medal match on Saturday, July 18.
Kylian Mbappé will not win three World Cup finals as France was eliminated in the 2026 FIFA World Cup semifinals. Mbappé had previously reached the finals in 2018 and 2022.
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