Manchester City fans could see Rodri lift the World Cup trophy tonight, which would see former Etihad defender Aymeric Laporte add the coveted trophy to his cabinet.
Tonight the World Cup comes to an end, with Spain and Argentina facing off in New York.
Should Rodri be considered the best defensive midfielder of all time if he wins the World Cup with Spain? 🤔
The Ballon d'Or winner is one victory away from adding the ultimate international prize…
Spain reached this point having started slowly but improved as the games have gone. Their performance against France in the semi-final was rather special.
Argentina have ridden their luck at times, but their never-say-die attitude, along with several moments of Lionel Messi magic, have carried them to the final.
They’ll have a tough job breaking Spain down, as they’ve only conceded one goal all tournament.
And one man who really played his part in that defensive solidity is Aymeric Laporte, and with that, here’s how he’s got on since leaving Manchester City.
How Aymeric Laporte has done since leaving Man City
Laporte left City in 2023 after winning the Treble.
He joined Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia, which raised eyebrows because many felt he could have played for a Champions League club.
It was a rather underwhelming stint there for Laporte in terms of winning trophies. He didn’t win silverware in either of his two seasons with the club.
| Aymeric Laporte for Man City (2017-2023) |
| Appearances – 180 |
| Goals – 12 |
| Assists – 4 |
| Pass accuracy – 92% |
| Trophies – 13 |
But he made 69 appearances for the club and actually did score nine goals, which was an impressive return. He also provided one assist.
One of those goals famously included a spectacular strike from inside his own half against Inter Miami.
Laporte was always a goal threat during his time at City, and that never really went away at the Saudi outfit.
Although he personally performed well for Al-Nassr both defensively and offensively, Laporte struggled to settle, which is why he left in the summer of 2025.
He rejoined Athletic Bilbao, and last term he made 30 appearances across all competitions, suffering one mid-season hamstring injury.
Bilbao finished 12th in the league in what was a fairly average season for them, but Laporte again caught the eye, and was called up by Luis de la Fuente for the World Cup.
Interestingly, at the end of the 2025/26 season, Laporte admitted regretting leaving City in an interview with AS, talking up how the club looks after players.
Laporte played well for Spain in their Euro 2024 triumph, and de la Fuente has again shown faith in him this summer, with his partnership with Pau Cubarsi one of the most impressive aspects of their team.
Watching him, he still very much looks like he could be playing for a top-level club in Europe, with all due respect to Bilbao.
But certainly, if Laporte and Cubarsi are both on song again tonight, Spain will have a huge chance of winning only their second-ever World Cup.
