Rodrigo (footballer, born 1991)

Club career

Early career

Born in Rio de Janeiro, Rodrigo moved to Spain in his early teens, settling in Galicia and started playing organised football with RC Celta de Vigo. In 2009, aged 18, he moved to Real Madrid to complete his development.

Only a few weeks after arriving, Rodrigo started playing as a senior with the C team. Shortly after, he was promoted to Real Madrid Castilla in Segunda División B, making his debut with the latter on 29 November 2009 in a 4–3 away win against UD Lanzarote.

Benfica

On 31 July 2010, Rodrigo signed a five-year contract with S.L. Benfica for a reported fee of €6 million. Real Madrid had an option to re-buy the player for €12 million during the next two seasons; however, after Fábio Coentrão's transfer to the Spanish club, both parties agreed to cancel the buyback clause.

The following month, Rodrigo joined Premier League side Bolton Wanderers on a season-long loan. He made his official debut in a League Cup fixture at Burnley on 21 September, starting in a 1–0 away loss.

Rodrigo first appeared in the league for Bolton on 23 October 2010, coming on as a substitute for Lee Chung-yong midway through the second half of a 1–1 away draw with Wigan Athletic. On 5 January 2011, against the same opponent, he scored his only goal of the campaign, with the game ending with the same result.

Returning to Benfica for 2011–12, Rodrigo played 38 competitive matches in his first year and scored 16 goals, including the opener in the season's Taça da Liga final against Gil Vicente FC, which his team won for the fourth year in a row (2–1). On 2 January 2013, he combined with Óscar Cardozo for five goals in a 6–0 home defeat of C.D. Aves in the fifth round of the Taça de Portugal.

On 31 January 2014, Benfica (and Benfica Stars Fund) sold 100% of Rodrigo's economic rights to a private company, Meriton Capital Limited, owned by Peter Lim, for €30 million, plus another potential €10 million on performance-related bonuses– he remained with them until the end of the campaign. On 10 April, he scored a brace in a 2–0 home win against AZ Alkmaar in the quarter-finals of the UEFA Europa League, which took the hosts through to the last-four stage 3–0 on aggregate.

Rodrigo scored Benfica's first goal in a 2–0 final victory over Rio Ave F.C. in the League Cup, and was subsequently voted player of the match as the Lisbon side won the competition for the fifth time in seven years. On 14 May he had his penalty shootout attempt saved by Sevilla FC's Beto, in an eventual Europa League final loss; in total, he contributed 18 goals in 43 appearances across all competitions to win an unprecedented treble of Primeira Liga, Taça de Portugal and League Cup.

Valencia

On 23 July 2014, Rodrigo moved back to Spain, after agreeing to a one-season loan deal with Valencia CF. Although his economic rights were owned by Lim, a loan was arranged to take him and André Gomes to Valencia due to Lim's purchase of the latter club.

Rodrigo made his debut for the Che on 23 August 2014, starting and playing the full 90 minutes in a 1–1 away draw against Sevilla. He scored his first La Liga goal on 22 September, netting the last of a 3–0 away win over Getafe CF through a penalty, but was later sent off; he was dismissed the following 30 May for striking Rayo Vallecano's Toño, and banned for three games by the Royal Spanish Football Federation.

On 15 June 2015, Benfica and Valencia announced they had reached an agreement on Rodrigo's federative rights, and he signed a four-year contract with the latter until 30 June 2019, for a reported fee of €30 million, which made him their most expensive transfer at the time. After moderate returns in his first three seasons at the Mestalla Stadium, he scored a career-best 16 goals (19 in all competitions) in 2017–18 as the Marcelino García Toral-led team qualified for the group stage of the UEFA Champions League; in late November 2017, he was rewarded with a new deal through 2022 with a reported release clause of €120 million.

On 29 January 2019, Rodrigo scored a second-half hat-trick – including two goals in injury time – as the hosts defeated Getafe 3–1 in the quarter-finals of the Copa del Rey, winning the tie 3–2 on aggregate. He also scored in the decisive match, a 2–1 defeat of FC Barcelona at the Estadio Benito Villamarín.

On 17 September 2019, Rodrigo scored the only goal of the match in the first Champions League group stage fixture, providing Valencia's first ever win against Chelsea in the club's history. On 10 December, he repeated the feat in a 1–0 away win over AFC Ajax to reach the knockout phase.

Leeds United

On 29 August 2020, Leeds United announced the signing of Rodrigo on a four-year deal for a club-record fee of £27 million (€30 million). He made his Premier League debut for them in the first match of the season against reigning champions Liverpool on 12 September, coming on as a substitute in the 4–3 defeat at Anfield. Four days later, he made his first start in a 1–1 draw with League One side Hull City in the EFL Cup (penalty shootout loss).

Rodrigo scored his first goal on 3 October 2020, in a 1–1 home league draw against Manchester City. Having missed several games through a groin injury at the beginning of 2021, he was used sparingly by Marcelo Bielsa upon his return before hitting strong form at the end of the campaign, scoring his first brace for the club on 15 May in a 4–0 away victory over Burnley. He finished his first year with seven goals, four of them coming in the final four fixtures.

Rodrigo scored six times in the league in the 2021–22 campaign. His team managed to stay up on the last matchday.

On 28 January 2023, Rodrigo sustained a bone and ligament injury during a 3–1 win at Accrington Stanley in the fourth round of the FA Cup, and was sidelined until his return as a 66th-minute replacement for Patrick Bamford in the 2–2 home draw with Brighton on 11 March. He went on to manage three more league goals for the remainder of the season, being Leeds' top scorer, but was stricken with injury again – plantar fasciitis – against West Ham, scoring in the 3–1 loss at London Stadium.

Al-Rayyan

On 13 July 2023, Qatar Stars League club Al-Rayyan SC triggered a relegation release clause inserted into Rodrigo's Leeds contract, signing the player.

International career

Rodrigo competed for Spain internationally, starting with the under-19s which he helped to the second position in the 2010 UEFA European Championship by netting two goals, including one in the final against France. He then appeared in the 2011 FIFA U-20 World Cup, helping the national team to the quarter-finals with his three goals.

Rodrigo made his debut for the Spanish under-21 side on 1 September 2011, scoring three times in Georgia in the 2013 European Championship qualifiers (7–2 rout). On 21 March 2013, in a friendly against Norway, he scored his 13th goal in the category to help to the 5–2 victory in Toledo, thus becoming the highest goal scorer after surpassing Óscar García's record which had stood since 1992.

Rodrigo was included in Spain's squad at the 2012 Summer Olympics, appearing in two games in an eventual group stage exit in London. On 3 October 2014, he was one of 23 players selected by Vicente del Bosque for UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying matches against Slovakia and Luxembourg, making his debut in the latter game by replacing Diego Costa in the 82nd minute and assisting the fourth and last goal for Juan Bernat.

On 6 October 2017, nearly three years after his first cap, Rodrigo marked his second by starting and scoring the first goal in a 3–0 home defeat of Albania in the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, in Alicante. He was then included in the squad for the finals in Russia, making his debut in the competition on 20 June when he replaced Costa for the final minute of the 1–0 group stage win over Iran.

Rodrigo was selected for the 2023 UEFA Nations League Finals. He started in the semi-final against Italy, but was an unused substitute in the final against Croatia, which Spain won on penalties.

Personal life

Rodrigo moved to Spain at a young age when his father, Brazilian footballer Adalberto, opened a football school in Vigo alongside 1994 FIFA World Cup winner Mazinho. He is a lifelong friend of the latter's sons Thiago Alcântara and Rafinha, who were raised in footballing terms at FC Barcelona and also represented Spain and Brazil respectively, and was erroneously reported to be their cousin.

Career statistics

Club

International

:Spain score listed first, score column indicates score after each Rodrigo goal.

Honours

Benfica

• Primeira Liga: 2013–14
• Taça de Portugal: 2013–14
• Taça da Liga: 2011–12, 2013–14
• UEFA Europa League runner-up: 2012–13, 2013–14

Valencia

• Copa del Rey: 2018–19

Al-Gharafa

• Emir of Qatar Cup: 2025

Spain U19

• UEFA European Under-19 Championship runner-up: 2010

Spain U21

• UEFA European Under-21 Championship: 2013

Spain

• UEFA Nations League: 2022–23

Individual

• UEFA Europa League Squad of the Season: 2013–14
• La Liga Player of the Month: March 2018
• Copa del Rey top scorer: 2018–19 (5 goals)

References

References

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66. Castelao, Eduardo J.. (12 June 2018). "Thiago y Rodrigo, los falsos primos 'ingleses'". [[El Mundo (Spain).
67. {{soccerway. rodrigo-moreno/116726
68. {{UEFA player
69. {{soccerbase season. 56989. 2022
70. {{EU-Football.info. 28836
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77. Pérez, Jonás. (27 January 2020). "¿Qué fue de los pichichis de las diez últimas Copas del Rey?". Diario AS.