Biography
Who is Rodrigo De Paul?
Early life and real name
Rodrigo De Paul Javier de Paul was born on May 24, 1994, in Sarandí, Argentina. He grew up in Sarandí, Buenos Aires, and joined the youth setup of Racing Club in 2002 at the age of eight. His mother, Mónica Ferraroti, worked as the treasurer of the local football club Deportivo Belgrano de Sarandí, which Rodrigo joined at the age of three. Because his mother is of Italian descent, he earned Italian citizenship.
After the divorce of his parents, Rodrigo was raised by his paternal grandfather, Osvaldo De Paul. He has acknowledged his grandfather as the primary and key influence on his upbringing.
Club career beginnings
Rodrigo made his professional debut on February 10, 2013, for Racing Club, coming on as a substitute against Atlético de Rafaela. He scored his first professional goal a month later through a long-range shot against San Martín de San Juan. After appearing in 19 matches during his first campaign, he featured in 35 matches and scored four times during the 2013-14 season.
In May 2014, Valencia CF agreed to a deal with Racing Club for Rodrigo. He signed a five-year contract with the Spanish club and made his La Liga debut in August 2014 against Sevilla FC. He scored his first goal for Valencia in December 2014 against Rayo Vallecano in the Copa del Rey. In February 2016, he returned to Racing Club on a loan managed by Gary Neville, scoring a goal in the Copa Libertadores against Bolívar.
Italian and Spanish league success
In July 2016, Rodrigo transferred to the Italian Serie A club Udinese. He scored his first goal for Udinese in January 2017 against AC Milan. During the 2018-19 season, he finished as Udinese's top goal scorer with nine goals and provided nine assists. He signed a new five-year contract with Udinese in October 2019 and became the club captain in December 2020.
Rodrigo returned to Spain in July 2021 by signing a five-year contract with Atlético Madrid. He scored his first goal for Atlético Madrid in December 2021 against FC Porto in the UEFA Champions League. Later, in July 2025, he joined Major League Soccer club Inter Miami on an initial six-month loan with a mandatory purchase clause. He scored his first goal for Inter Miami in August 2025 against Pumas UNAM.
International career and honors
Rodrigo made his senior international debut for Argentina in October 2018 in a match against Iraq. He became a regular player under manager Lionel Scaloni and helped Argentina finish third in the 2019 Copa América. During the 2021 Copa América, he scored the opening goal in the quarter-finals against Ecuador and set up the winning goal in the final against Brazil.
He was a key member of the Argentina squad that won the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, starting in the final match. He also won the 2024 Copa América and the 2022 CONMEBOL-UEFA Cup of Champions. In addition, he was selected for Argentina's 2026 FIFA World Cup squad and played in Lionel Messi's farewell match for the national team in October 2026.
Birthday and age
Rodrigo De Paul was born on May 24, 1994, which makes Rodrigo 32 years old today. That birthday falls under the Gemini sign. Rodrigo shares the date with 38 other famous people.
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