Spain captain Rodri has lifted the lid on why he snubbed Real Madrid to join Barcelona this summer.

The former Villarreal midfielder was heavily linked with a move to Santiago Bernabeu but made a shocking U-turn to join Madrid's arch-rivals Barcelona.

The 30-year-old joined the Spanish champions in deal worth a £65.4 million from Manchester City following a successful FIFA World Cup campaign.

In a latest interview with Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo, the World Cup winner disclosed that his decision to join the Catalans was purely sporting reasons.

“Saying no to Real Madrid was not easy, especially since they treated me so well, Rodri told Mundo Deportivo as quoted by Fabrizio Romano.

“I made my decision based on sporting aspects, on what excited me more and where I felt I could win and grow the most as a player.”

🚨 Rodri: “Saying NO to Real Madrid was not easy, especially since they treated me so well”.

“I made my decision based on sporting aspects, on what excited me more and where I felt I could win and grow the most as a player”, told @mundodeportivo. pic.twitter.com/gkwK0gK5gD

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) September 15, 2026