Biography
Who is Rodrigo?
Early life and career beginnings
Rodrigo was born in Rio de Janeiro and moved to Spain during his early teenage years. He settled in the region of Galicia and began his organized football path playing for RC Celta de Vigo. In 2009, at the age of 18, he transitioned to Real Madrid to further his professional development.
Shortly after arriving at Real Madrid, he began playing as a senior for the C team. He was soon promoted to the Real Madrid Castilla side in the Segunda Division B. He officially debuted for that reserve team on 29 November 2009 during a 4 to 3 victory against UD Lanzarote.
European success with Benfica
On 31 July 2010, Rodrigo signed a five-year contract with S.L. Benfica for a reported fee of 6 million euros. He spent his first season on loan at the Premier League club Bolton Wanderers, where he made his official debut in a League Cup match against Burnley in September 2010.
After returning to Benfica for the 2011-12 season, he played 38 competitive matches and scored 16 goals. During the 2013-14 season, he helped the team secure a domestic treble, which included the Primeira Liga, the Taca de Portugal, and the League Cup. He also scored a brace in a UEFA Europa League quarter-final match against AZ Alkmaar, helping his team reach the final stages of the competition.
Tenure at Valencia and Leeds United
In 2014, Rodrigo returned to Spain on a loan deal with Valencia CF. The club later acquired his federative rights on a four-year contract in 2015 for a reported 30 million euros. He recorded a career-best of 16 league goals during the 2017-18 season, helping the team qualify for the UEFA Champions League. In 2019, he scored in the Copa del Rey final to help Valencia defeat FC Barcelona.
In August 2020, he joined Leeds United for a club-record fee of 27 million pounds. He made his Premier League debut against Liverpool in September 2020. Throughout his time in England, he dealt with various injuries, including a groin issue in 2021 and a bone and ligament injury in early 2023. He finished the 2022-23 season as the top scorer for Leeds before departing for Al-Rayyan SC in July 2023.
International career achievements
Rodrigo competed for Spain across several youth levels, starting with the under-19 team where he scored in the final of the 2010 UEFA European Championship. He also represented the national team during the 2011 FIFA U-20 World Cup. He debuted for the Spain under-21 side in 2011 and became the team's record goal scorer in 2013.
He participated in the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. He earned his first cap for the senior Spanish national team in 2014 during a Euro 2016 qualifying match against Luxembourg. He was part of the squad that competed at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. He was also selected for the 2023 UEFA Nations League Finals and featured in the semi-final match against Italy.
Birthday and age
Rodrigo was born on March 6, 1991, which makes Rodrigo 35 years old today. That birthday falls under the Pisces sign. Rodrigo shares the date with 56 other famous people.
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