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.[4]
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 (29 minutes played).[5]
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.[6]
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.[10] On 5 January 2011, against the same opponent, he scored his only goal of the campaign, with the game ending with the same result.[11]
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[14]– he remained with them until the end of the campaign.[15][16] 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.[17]
Rodrigo in April 2015, ahead of Valencia's derby against Levante
On 23 July 2014, Rodrigo moved back to Spain, after agreeing to a one-season loan deal with Valencia CF.[24] 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.[25]
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.[26] 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;[27] he was dismissed the following 30 May for striking Rayo Vallecano's Toño, and banned for three games by the Royal Spanish Football Federation.[28]
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.[29][30] 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;[31] in late November 2017, he was rewarded with a new deal through 2022 with a reported release clause of €120 million.[32]
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.[35][36][37] On 10 December, he repeated the feat in a 1–0 away win over AFC Ajax to reach the knockout phase.[38]
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).[39][40] 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.[41] 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).[42]
Rodrigo scored his first goal on 3 October 2020, in a 1–1 home league draw against Manchester City.[43] Having missed several games through a groin injury at the beginning of 2021,[44] 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.[45] He finished his first year with seven goals, four of them coming in the final four fixtures.[46]
Rodrigo scored six times in the league in the 2021–22 campaign.[47] His team managed to stay up on the last matchday.[48]
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,[49] 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.[50][51] 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.[52]
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.[53]
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 Cupqualifiers, in Alicante.[59] He was then included in the squad for the finals in Russia,[60] 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.[61]
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.[65][66]
Career statistics
Club
As of match played 14 May 2024
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition[67][68][69]
^Álvarez, Fernando (17 September 2019). "Rodrigo le quita las penas al Valencia" [Rodrigo chases Valencia's woes away]. Marca (in Spanish). Retrieved 18 September 2019.
