Ricardo Rodriguez (footballer)

Ricardo Rodriguez
Rodriguez with Switzerland at the 2018 FIFA World Cup
Personal information
Full name Ricardo Iván Rodriguez Araya[1]
Date of birth (1992-08-25) 25 August 1992 (age 32)[1]
Place of birth Zürich, Switzerland
Height 1.82 m (6 ft 0 in)[1]
Position(s) Left-back
Team information
Current team
Betis
Number 12
Youth career
2001–2002 FC Schwamendingen
2002–2010 Zürich
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2010–2012 Zürich 35 (2)
2012–2017 VfL Wolfsburg 149 (15)
2017–2020 AC Milan 74 (1)
2020PSV (loan) 6 (0)
2020–2024 Torino 120 (1)
2024– Betis 6 (0)
International career
2009–2010 Switzerland U17 5 (3)
2009–2010 Switzerland U18 10 (4)
2010–2011 Switzerland U19 15 (5)
2011–2012 Switzerland U23 3 (0)
2011– Switzerland 123 (9)
Medal record
Men's football
Representing   Switzerland
FIFA U-17 World Cup
Winner 2009 U-17 Team
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 19:04, 19 October 2024 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 23:05, 12 October 2024 (UTC)

Ricardo Iván Rodriguez Araya (born 25 August 1992) is a Swiss professional footballer who plays as a left-back for La Liga club Betis and Switzerland national team.

Rodriguez began his professional career at local club FC Zürich in 2010, having spent eight years in the youth setup. After breaking through into the first team at Zürich, he was sold to VfL Wolfsburg in January 2012 for £7.5 million.[2] Rodriguez played 184 games across all competitions for Wolfsburg, scoring 22 goals and winning the DFB-Pokal and DFL-Supercup in 2015. In 2017, he signed for AC Milan.

Rodriguez has earned caps at every level of the Swiss national team setup, winning the FIFA U17 World Cup in 2009. A full international for Switzerland since 2011, Rodriguez has earned 120 caps for the country. He was part of the Swiss team at the 2012 Olympics, and also represented the senior side at the FIFA World Cup in 2014, 2018 and 2022, and the UEFA European Championship in 2016, 2020 and 2024. In 2014, he was voted Swiss Footballer of the Year.[3]

  1. ^ a b c "FIFA World Cup Russia 2018: List of Players: Switzerland" (PDF). FIFA. 15 July 2018. p. 30. Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 June 2019.
  2. ^ "Ricardo Rodriguez wechselt definitiv zum VfL Wolfsburg". FC Zürich (in German). 13 January 2012. Archived from the original on 6 March 2016. Retrieved 26 September 2014.
  3. ^ "Rodriguez wins Player of the Year Award". Bundesliga. 2 September 2014. Archived from the original on 3 December 2014. Retrieved 22 September 2014.