Rodrygo

Rodrygo Silva de Goes (; born 9 January 2001), better known as Rodrygo, is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as a right winger or forward for La Liga club Real Madrid and the Brazil national team.

Rodrygo began his career with Santos, where he played 80 games and scored 17 goals before a €45 million transfer to Real Madrid in 2019. Over the following seasons, he established himself as a prominent member in Real Madrid's squad, helping the club win two La Liga– Champions League doubles in 2022 and 2024.

After representing Brazil at youth level, Rodrygo made his senior debut in 2019, aged only 18, representing Brazil at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar and the 2024 Copa América in the United States.

Club career

Santos

Born in Osasco in São Paulo, Rodrygo joined Santos' youth setup in 2011 at the age of ten, initially assigned to the futsal team. Rodrygo travelled the world with Santos, spreading his beloved game of futsal under legendary futsal coach Barata who also trained Neymar, including a much heralded YouTube video with City Futsal in Dallas area in Texas, USA. In March 2017, with the first team regulars in Peru for a Copa Libertadores match against Sporting Cristal, he was called up to the first team by manager Dorival Júnior to complete training.

On 21 July 2017, Rodrygo signed his first professional contract, after agreeing to a five-year deal. On 1 November, he was promoted to the main squad by interim manager Elano.

Rodrygo made his first team – and Série A – debut on 4 November 2017, coming on as a late substitute for Bruno Henrique in a 3–1 home win against Atlético Mineiro. The following 25 January he scored his first senior goal, netting a last-minute winner in a 2–1 Campeonato Paulista away win against Ponte Preta.

Rodrygo made his Copa Libertadores debut on 1 March 2018, replacing Eduardo Sasha in a 2–0 away loss against Real Garcilaso; aged 17 years and 50 days, he became the youngest player of Santos to appear in the competition. Fifteen days later he scored his first goal in the tournament, netting his team's second through an individual effort in a 3–1 win against Nacional at the Pacaembu Stadium; at the age of 17 years, two months and six days, he became the youngest Brazilian to score in the competition before his record was broken by fellow Santos youth graduates Kaiky and Ângelo.

Rodrygo scored his first goal in the main category of Brazilian football on 14 April 2018, netting the last in a 2–0 home win against Ceará. On 3 June, he scored a hat-trick and also assisted Gabriel's last goal in a 5–2 home routing of Vitória.

On 26 July 2018, Rodrygo changed his jersey number from 43 to 9 (a number he already wore during the Libertadores). For the 2019 campaign, he again switched numbers, now to jersey 11, previously worn by fellow youth graduate Neymar.

Real Madrid

On 15 June 2018, Real Madrid reached an agreement with Santos for the transfer of Rodrygo, with the player joining ''Los Blancos'' in June 2019 and signing until 2025. The rumoured fee was of €45 million, with Santos receiving €40 million as the club owned 80% of his rights with the rest owned by Rodrygo's agents.

On 25 September 2019, Rodrygo made his first team debut and scored his first league goal against Osasuna within a mere minute. He scored his first hat-trick, and gave an assist for the club on 6 November, aged 18 years and 301 days old, against Galatasaray in a 6–0 win in the 2019–20 UEFA Champions League season. The second youngest ever to score a hat-trick in the competition, he is also the first player born in the 21st century to score in the tournament. In his first season, he managed to make 19 appearances, while scoring two goals during the league season, as Real Madrid won the 2019–20 La Liga. On 3 November 2020, Rodrygo scored the winning goal in a 3–2 victory over Inter Milan in the 2020–21 UEFA Champions League.

On 12 April 2022, after coming on as a substitute in the second leg of the 2021–22 UEFA Champions League quarter-final tie against Chelsea, he scored with a volleyed finish to send the game into extra-time, in which Karim Benzema scored the winner from a header, allowing Real Madrid to progress into the semi-finals. On 30 April, Rodrygo helped Real clinch their 35th La Liga title after scoring twice in a 4–0 win against Espanyol at the Bernabéu. On 4 May, while trailing 0–1 (3–5 on aggregate) in the second leg of the Champions League semi-final tie against Manchester City, he scored two goals between the 90th and 91st minutes to level the tie and send the game into extra-time. Benzema scored a penalty to win the game 3–1, allowing Real Madrid to progress into the final against Liverpool with an aggregate score of 6–5 and eventually win the tournament. Following the turnaround win against City and other recent last-minute winning contributions, Rodrygo’s impact on the team was praised despite his young age and he quickly turned into a cult hero at Madrid.

On 18 April 2023, he scored a brace in a 2–0 away victory over Chelsea in the 2022–23 UEFA Champions League quarter-final second leg, which secured his team's qualification to the semi-finals by winning 4–0 on aggregate. On 6 May, he scored two goals for Real Madrid in a 2–1 win over Osasuna in the 2023 Copa del Rey final, to be their 20th title in that competition.

On 2 November 2023, Real Madrid announced that Rodrygo's contract had been extended, with a new expiration date of 30 June 2028.

International career

On 30 March 2017, Rodrygo was called up to Brazil under-17s for the year's Montaigu Tournament. He made his debut in the championship by scoring his side's only goal in a 2–1 loss against Denmark, and netted two more against Cameroon and United States.

On 7 March 2018, Rodrygo and Santos teammate Yuri Alberto were called up to the under-20s, but both were cut from the squad six days later after a request from his club's president.

In November 2019, Rodrygo was called up for the first time to the Brazil senior team, for the Superclásico de las Américas against rivals Argentina in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. In the 1–0 loss on 15 November, he replaced Willian for the final 20 minutes.

On 7 November 2022, Rodrygo was named in the squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. On 9 December, Brazil faced Croatia in the quarter-finals of the World Cup. With the match ending in a 1–1 draw after extra time, the tie would be decided on penalties. Rodrygo took Brazil's first penalty, but his kick was saved by Croatia goalkeeper Dominik Livaković. Brazil were eliminated after Marquinhos' shot hit the post.

In May 2024, Rodrygo was selected for Brazil’s squad for the Copa América, further cementing his role as one of the team’s key attacking players. During the tournament, he played a pivotal role in Brazil’s campaign, showcasing his versatility by contributing both as a starter and an impactful substitute. His performances emphasized his growing importance to the national team setup, reflecting his maturity and adaptability on the international stage.

Style of play

Considered to be a talented and highly promising young player in the media, Rodrygo's playing style has been likened to that of compatriot and Real Madrid team-mate Vinícius Júnior, due to their pace, technical skill, and similar direct style in attack. Although he does not possess significant physical strength or athleticism, due to his diminutive stature, Rodrygo's low centre of gravity, combined with his dribbling skills and resulting agility, allow him to change direction quickly when in possession of the ball, and beat opponents in one on one situations. He has also been noted for his decision-making, offensive positioning, finishing, link-up play, and creativity, which allows him to hold-up the ball and create space or chances for his teammates, in addition to scoring goals himself. He has also been praised by pundits for his work-rate and willingness to press opponents. While he normally plays as a right-winger, he is a versatile player, who has been used in several other positions, including on the left, and was also used in a free role as a right-sided forward or striker in a 4–3–1–2 formation during the 2023–24 season by manager Carlo Ancelotti; in this position, although he operated in more central areas at times, he was still given the freedom to move out wide to overload the flanks, or switch positions and link-up with Vinícius on the other side of the pitch. Although he is naturally right-footed, Rodrygo does not normally play as an inverted winger on the opposite flank, in contrast to many other wingers of his era.

Rodrygo’s versatility has been a crucial asset for Real Madrid, allowing him to adapt to various attacking roles. Under Carlo Ancelotti, he has been deployed as a winger, second striker, and even in central attacking roles, showcasing his ability to fill multiple tactical needs. In a 2024 interview, Rodrygo acknowledged this adaptability, stating: "Often, I’m just filling blank spaces... but I’m a team player." Despite these contributions, he expressed frustration at being left off the 2024 Ballon d'Or shortlist, commenting: "I think I deserved it... but I’m not the one who decides these things."

Personal life

Rodrygo is a Christian.

Rodrygo and Brazilian beautician Pamella Cristina Costa welcomed twin sons in February 2022.

His father, Eric, is a former professional footballer who played as a right-back in several tiers of Brazilian football, the highest of which being the Série B.

In February 2024, Rodrygo partnered with the Juegaterapia Foundation and artist Titocustoms to launch a fundraising campaign against childhood cancer. The initiative, part of the "Everything is going to be fine" campaign, involved auctioning personalized items—including Nike sneakers, a jacket, a ball, and a painting—to support affected children. Reflecting on his involvement, Rodrygo stated, "Football is a tool that allows us not only to amplify the values of sport, but also to offer an opportunity to those people who need support."

Rodrygo’s father had already made the prediction that he was going to be a footballer before he was even born. He has one younger sister, Ana Julya, who was born in 2018.

Career statistics

Club

International

:''Scores and results list Brazil's goal tally first.''

Honours

Real Madrid
*La Liga: 2019–20, 2021–22, 2023–24
*Copa del Rey: 2022–23
*Supercopa de España: 2020, 2022, 2024
*UEFA Champions League: 2021–22, 2023–24
*UEFA Super Cup: 2022, 2024
*FIFA Club World Cup: 2022
*FIFA Intercontinental Cup: 2024

Individual
*Campeonato Paulista Best Newcomer: 2018
* Goal.com NxGN: 2020
* IFFHS Men's Youth (U20) World Team: 2020, 2021
* La Liga U23 Player of the Month: November 2023

References

External links

Profile
at the Real Madrid CF website

Profile
at the Santos FC website
*

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rodrygo
2001 births
Living people
Footballers from Osasco
Brazilian men's footballers
Men's association football forwards
Santos FC players
Real Madrid Castilla footballers
Real Madrid CF players
Campeonato Brasileiro Série A players
Segunda División B players
La Liga players
Brazil men's youth international footballers
Brazil men's under-20 international footballers
Brazil men's international footballers
Brazilian expatriate men's footballers
Brazilian expatriate sportspeople in Spain
Expatriate men's footballers in Spain
UEFA Champions League–winning players
2022 FIFA World Cup players
2024 Copa América players
Brazilian Christians
21st-century Brazilian sportsmen