MADRID — Imagine being Rodrygo. At 24, you play for Real Madrid – the biggest club in the world – and the Brazil national team. An incredibly talented striker, you have already won three La Liga titles and two UEFA Champions Leagues, scoring some iconic goals along the way.
But you’re not the star of the team. Worse yet, you’re not even second fiddle. Or third best. You are fourth on the call sheet. Because you play with it Vinicius Junior, Jude BellinghamAnd Kylian Mbappéwho last year finished second, third and sixth in voting for the 2024 Ballon d’Or. Rodrygo, notably, was not even on the shortlist.
On Wednesday night at the Santiago Bernabéu, Rodrygo once again served as a reminder of what a talented player he is, scoring twice in Madrid’s 5-1 win over RB Salzburg. The two first-half goals – which got Madrid back on track after a difficult start – showed the striker at his best, with elite, impossible-to-follow movement off the ball and finishing unfailingly confident under pressure.
In the 23rd minute, Vinicius’ ball over the Salzburg defense was headed towards Bellingham, but his poor control found Rodrygo at the far post. The striker finished for the first time, across the goal, past the goalkeeper Janis Blaswich. It wasn’t just Rodrygo’s first chance of the match; it was that of Madrid. And he made it count.
Rodrygo’s second goal, 12 minutes later, was even better. After drifting to his favored position on the left wing, he sent the ball inside to Bellingham, who returned the favor, finding Rodrygo’s driving run with a smart backheel. Rodrygo’s first finish, curled into the bottom corner, screamed supreme confidence.
The striker’s Champions League goals – and the difference between his record in Europe’s top club competition and La Liga – are so impressive they deserve to be highlighted. Rodrygo now has 22 goals in 57 Champions League matches. This represents a goal every two and a half matches, against the best teams in Europe. In La Liga, he has 32 goals in 159 matches, or one goal every five matches. In other words: Rodrygo scores twice as often in the Champions League.
For what? It is difficult to say, or at least to identify a main factor. Perhaps European football and the way Champions League opponents often come against Madrid, looking to play and leaving space behind their defense, suits him? Maybe it’s a question of mentality, focus and consistency, able to perform on the biggest stage in a way that he isn’t able to replicate every week in La Liga? The end result is a six-year stint at Real Madrid that already contains plenty of spectacular, career-defining images, while also giving the impression that it has yet to truly catch fire.
Rodrygo played a part in some of the biggest and most dramatic moments in Madrid’s recent history. Just think of his two goals in a minute against Manchester City at this stadium in May 2022, arguably the defining fate of this breathtaking run of Champions League comebacks. But when Madrid signed Mbappé last summer, it was Rodrygo’s place in the team that was immediately and understandably called into question, with doubts over his long-term future.
In fact, coach Carlo Ancelotti has largely supported him, determined to integrate the four stars into the starting XI, even when the balance of the team is thus threatened. Rodrygo has made 13 starts and four substitute appearances in La Liga this season, with three starts and two sub appearances in the Champions League. On Wednesday, he started on the right. It’s a position that doesn’t do him any favors, limiting his effectiveness, but it’s also the only place available with Mbappé, Vinícius and Bellingham to accommodate him.
The second half of the evening – with Salzburg collapsing – was a reminder of why Rodrygo will never star at the Bernabéu. Mbappé and Vinicius both scored, Vinicius twice; Mbappé after a screamer from the goalkeeper, and Vini with two striking finishes, on the left wing. The headlines will be shared, with Rodrygo a key contributor, rather than the main man.
Even when Rodrygo was substituted in the 71st minute, replaced by Endrickhe didn’t have a solo moment of glory. Mbappé was withdrawn by Ancelotti at the same time. The ovation from the Bernabéu public was shared and when the two players left the field, it was Mbappé’s name that the supporters were chanting, not Rodrygo’s.
After the match, Vinicius seemed surprised to learn on Spanish television that he had been named MVP.
“I felt like I wasn’t able to play well in the first half,” he said. “‘Rodry’ deserved it.”
Rodrygo was equally magnanimous.
“It doesn’t matter,” he said. “Here, we play for the team.”
He will be important in Brest next week, in Madrid’s final league match. Vinicius’ yellow card against Salzburg means he will be suspended for the trip to France. Rodrygo will occupy his preferred role on the left. If his European record is anything to go by, expect him to shine.
