Real Madrid is undergoing a transformation. The golden generation of players like Cristiano Ronaldo, Luka Modric, Karim Benzema, Toni Kroos, Sergio Ramos etc. has ended. Some players have left the club and some players are nearing the end of their career. Fortunately, there is a new batch of young stars who are ready to take their place. One of such young stars is the Brazilian striker Rodrygo. In this post, we will find out more about him. Let’s get started.
Rodrygo: All You Need To Know
Rodrygo is now rightfully considered the rising star of Real Madrid. The talented product of Santos is often compared with Neymar and Cristiano Ronaldo because of his skill set, but the young talent does not consider himself a star. And this despite the fact that he has already managed to write his name in the history of world football, setting several records.
When was Rodrygo born?
Rodrygo Silva de Gois (this is the full name of the football player) was born on January 9, 2001 in the Brazilian city of Ozascu, located in the state of Sao Paulo. His life was largely a foregone conclusion, because he grew up in the family of a professional athlete. His father, Eric Barista de Gois, who came into this world in 1984, was a footballer in his youth, playing as a right back. However, the sporting fate of the head of the family was not entirely successful, since he played in the lower leagues (Atletico Linense, Mirasol, Cuiaba) and could only dream of the top division.
How did Rodrygo start his football career?
Eric Barista de Gois decided to embody his own unfulfilled ambitions in his son, who from an early age instilled a love of physical activity. Being brought up in a sports environment, Rodrygo started playing football as soon as he learned to walk, and at the age of 10 he already shone in the Santos youth club (though first in the futsal team). The young striker was called a child prodigy and a phenomenon, coaches noted his technique, agility and ability to control the ball.
Santos
Rodrygo’s career developed rapidly. At the age of 16, he signed his first professional contract with Santos and almost immediately began playing for the first team. In November 2017, the striker first appeared on the field in a match against Atlético Mineiro. The debut goal was not long in coming: already in January 2018, Rodrygo hit the target in the Paulista League and thus brought his team a 2-1 victory in this meeting.
Real Madrid
Just a year after starting his professional career, the 174 cm tall Brazilian prodigy, who began to be compared with Neymar, attracted the attention of Spanish giants – Barcelona and Real Madrid. Real Madrid at that time actively sought to strengthen the roster with young talents, so it was fixated on Rodrygo. In the summer of 2018, Real Madrid paid an impressive 45 million euros for the player. Rodrygo’s transfer happened around the same time that Real Madrid brought in another Brazilian star, Flamenco’s Vinicius Junior.
After spending another season with Santos under the terms of the agreement, Rodrygo moved to Real Madrid in the summer of 2019.
“For me, this is a dream come true. I have always said that in Brazil every child dreams of this. This is the happiest day of my life,” said the new player at the first press conference.
To gain experience, Rodrygo was initially sent to the second team. He played three matches for Castile, scoring two goals. The impressive results did not go unnoticed by head coach Zinedine Zidane, who believed in the young talent. Already in his debut match for the main team, Rodrygo secured the status of a rising star in La Liga. It took him only 95 seconds after entering the field to score his first goal. In addition, the striker set a record by becoming the first player born in the 21st century to score for Real Madrid.
Spanish sports publications immediately published a photo of Rodrygo, christening him Lightning. He confirmed this title a month and a half after a bright debut in La Liga – this time in the Champions League. In the match against Galatasaray Istanbul on November 6, 2019, the striker scored a hat-trick and again became the record holder, namely the first player born in the 21st century to score a goal in the Champions League.
In his debut season with Real Madrid, Rodrygo became the national champion and winner of the Spanish Super Cup. In the following years, he continued to progress and improve his statistics. In the 2021/2022 season, the striker played 44 matches in which he scored eight goals. In addition, he won the Champions League with Madrid, which he helped to reach the final of the tournament (in the semi-final second leg against Manchester City, Rodrygo scored a double in two minutes). The semi final performance in the second leg against Manchester City is Rodrygo’s most iconic moment. He scored two goals in stoppage time to bring Real Madrid back from the dead in one of the most exciting football matches ever.
Who is Rodrygo dating?
Rodrygo does not advertise his personal life, but it is known that he is now in a relationship with Luana Atik Lopez. There is no information about the girlfriend of the football player, except that she is a blogger.
The athlete considers his parents and sister Ana Julia, who was born in 2018, to be the closest people. However, Rodrygo does not forget about those who gave him life, sparing no money for gifts for his mother and father.
National Team
In the fall of 2022, Rodrygo went with the Brazilian national team to the World Cup, the final part of which was held in Qatar. The team was the pre-tournament favourite and won all three of its group games. However, Brazil were eliminated by Croatia in the quarter-finals on penalties.
Rodrygo: Accomplishments
2018 – The best newcomer of the Paulista League
2019/20, 2021/22 – Champion of Spain
2019/20, 2021/22 – Spanish Super Cup winner
2021/22 – UEFA Champions League winner
2022 – Winner of the UEFA Super Cup
Which is Rodrygo’s favourite football team?
Rodrygo’s favorite football team since childhood was Real Madrid, so he knew the club’s anthem by heart long before signing the contract.
Who is Rodrygo’s role model?
The athlete calls Cristiano Ronaldo a role model. And yet, at one time, the Belgian Eden Hazard flaunted on the screensaver of his phone, from whom the native of Ozascu learned a lot in his youth, but then he could not even imagine that he would one day play with an idol in the same club.
When did Rodrygo sign with Nike?
At the age of 11, Rodrygo signed with Nike and thus became the youngest Brazilian player to earn that honour.
Which teammate does Rodrygo call his dad?
His teammate Luka Modric, who is 16 years older than him, the footballer jokingly calls dad. It all started with the fact that the Real Madrid midfielder found out that the father of the young striker was practically the same age as him, after which he told Rodrygo that he was old enough to be his dad. During the 2022 World Cup, the Brazilian striker rubbed the legs of world football legend Ronaldo for good luck.
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