Why Did Rodrygo's Father Insist on Conceiving Him in January?
In football, no entertainment is complete without a hero, and football is no exception to that rule. Everyone knows it's a team sport, and the team is supposed to be the real hero. However, fans have never stopped attaching themselves to the best players, anointing them as heroes above all others.
At Real Madrid, the process of creating heroes is a fundamental characteristic of the team, from the days of the Galácticos under Perez to the current season, where the capital's fans believe that Real Madrid's glory is ensured thanks to their new hero, Vinícius Júnior.
Because the second rule in football dictates that excitement peaks every time fans are reassured about the state of affairs, the curse of injuries befell the chosen one, Vinícius. Many thought they were without a real hero until the emergence of Jude Bellingham, challenging him in the championship scene, with another Brazilian star shining alongside, sometimes overshadowing him—Rodrygo Goes.
What's intriguing here is that the stardom of Rodrygo began even before he was born; he was born specifically to play football. Does the last sentence sound somewhat cliché? Well, we mean it literally; before Rodrygo saw the light, his father decided he would be a football player.
Rodrygo has a story that revolves around the idea of creating a star from his very first day to the present day. Let's start with his first day, even before that, a few days before.
He Couldn't Be Born in December
At the end of 2000, Mrs. Denise was expecting her new baby at any moment. However, her husband, the 16-year-old football player, Eric Goes, begged her every day not to give birth before the start of the new year. The only reason was that this way, he would be the youngest in his age group. Babies born in January would be about a year older than him, and for a young football player trying to be the best, this was a catastrophe!
In those surroundings, Rodrigo was born. His father taught him to use his weaker foot to kick the ball, not just relying on his right foot. Throughout his childhood, he would run wearing a fake Seleção jersey with Neymar's name on it. In his first match as a youth player, he stepped onto the field from the substitutes' bench because his team was trailing 0-2. The result changed thanks to Rodrigo, who scored seven goals in one go!
A New Hero at Home
As soon as Rodrigo turned sixteen, his father decided to retire finally and dedicate himself to molding this hero. In the same year, Rodrigo was called up to play with the first team of Santos.
During a single season, Rodrigo became a regular in the team and started receiving offers from some of Europe's top clubs. He was on the verge of joining Barcelona, and only Rodrigo's signature remained to finalize the deal. Enter the man who always appears at the right time—Florentino Perez, who brought Rodrigo to Real Madrid.
The Championship Belongs to Madrid
In truth, Perez's desire wasn't the decisive factor in Rodrigo's deal, even though the Spanish club had been tracking him since he was thirteen. Rodrigo's constant wish was to move to a Champions League team. With every substantial offer, he would affirm to his father that there was something better, and that was joining Real Madrid.
Rodrigo eventually moved to Madrid, but he was never the hero of the story. He couldn't replicate the magic he possessed in Brazil, perhaps because he went there at a young age, or perhaps because Real Madrid itself was going through turbulent times. However, the crucial advantage of Real Madrid is that, even in the darkest circumstances, it offers you the chance for eternal glory.
This is what happened in the UEFA Champions League for the 2021-2022 season, where Rodrigo made history with his goals against Manchester City, turning into a hero embraced by Real Madrid fans as he led the team towards their favorite trophy—with the 'big ears.'
Real Madrid fans expected Rodrigo to become the team's main hero, but that never happened.
He's Only 22
If you decide to search on Google for Rodrigo's position, you'll find the first search results featuring a simple question about Rodrigo's effectiveness as a right winger. You'll also find questions about Rodrigo's actual position on the field.
In reality, Rodrigo joined Real Madrid before his identity became clear. You can understand this by following his matches in Santos, where he was always seen with the ball on both the left and right wings, even playing as a striker and wearing the number 9 without a clear understanding of which positions he excels in.
Rodrigo always appears to be a player not fully understanding the spaces he should occupy. He has the skills of a number 10 but has spent most of his career in Madrid stuck on the right wing, providing opportunities for breakthroughs and causing problems with his dribbling ability and delivering deadly passes.
Despite all of this, Real Madrid fans never gave up on him. His quality is evident, and he remains impactful throughout the game, receiving unwavering support from Madridistas who believe that this man is gradually evolving into one of the most versatile forwards. He does so with remarkable smoothness.
The Gamble and Implications
Rodrigo represents the idea of the necessity of betting on young talents. Real Madrid decided to bet on a significant number of these young talents, and the fans understood through experience that these bets require time and implications. You can follow the trajectory of Martin Odegaard to grasp this concept.
Odegaard joined Real Madrid at the age of sixteen, disappeared completely afterward, only to reappear at the age of twenty with Real Sociedad. Real Madrid then let him go, and he became one of the most important players at Arsenal and the team's captain.
That's the experience, and the implications emerged through the current season. It was largely expected that, with Benzema's departure, Rodrigo would take over the number 9 position at Real Madrid until the arrival of a new striker or an additional attacking player.
Instead, taking advantage of the productive efforts of Bellingham, Rodrigo was asked to play as part of the attacking line, exploiting the spaces he always preferred to move into to find gaps in compact defenses—a task he successfully accomplished.
Let's not deny that Rodrigo also suffers somewhat from the glow of the stars around him. As he feels his way each time, he finds others have already shone brightly. Vinícius did it before, and now Bellingham is doing it. Thus, Rodrigo often finds himself compelled to take on new roles, capitalizing on the brilliance of others.
Rodrigo was born to play football, but football itself changes and evolves at a rapid pace. He will never become a Neymar clone, as he admired in his youth, but he evolves with the game each season, perhaps bringing us a new version that can't be compared to anyone in the seasons to come.
This article on Rodrigo is amazing. I never knew this was how his story goes and was almost a Barcelona player(Damn you Papa Perez). Rodrigo is a fantastic young talent in all honesty, but I don't like his attitude on the pitch to be frank and it's not because he is a Madrid player, he has zero humility and has join Vinicius to use the racism card. Anyway, if he is consistent then his future will be brighter in Real Madrid.