Brazil delivered the most convincing performance of Carlo Ancelotti's reign so far as they overcame some challenging conditions to thrash South Korea 5-0 in a friendly in sodden Seoul, with Real Madrid's Rodrygo starring on his return to the squad. After an underwhelming start to his tenure, the Italian tactician will be a much happier man as the Selecao's World Cup preparations begin in earnest.
Rodrygo has opened up on his "difficult" absence from the Brazil national team amid his battle to earn Xabi Alonso's trust at Real Madrid. After missing the last two international windows, Rodrygo is finally back in the national team setup after receiving a call-up from his former coach Carlo Ancelotti for the friendlies in October against Asian giants South Korea and Japan.
After finishing in the Ballon d'Or top 10 eight times, Rodrygo believes 2026 could be the year Kylian Mbappe finally gets to lift the prestigious individual award. The Real Madrid No.10, described by Rodrygo as a "football phenomenon" who is getting "faster every day", has been in unstoppable form, scoring a staggering 14 goals in the first 10 games of the 2025-26 season.
Over the summer, Rodrygo seemed like the Real Madrid player likeliest to depart the club, with teams such as Arsenal, Manchester City, Liverpool, and Paris Saint-Germain all expressing their interest. However, the Brazilian winger has reiterated that he never had any desire to leave Los Blancos, proving that there was never any weight to any rumours linking him with an exit.
Vinicius Junior was named on the bench for Real Madrid's Champions League opener against Marseille on Tuesday, with Rodrygo starting in his place on the left wing. After the game, head coach Xabi Alonso made it clear that the squad must get used to his rotational policy and sit out a game every now and then, but reassured that Vinicius remains just as important to the cause.
Rodrygo will stay back at Real Madrid after winning manager Xabi Alonso's trust. The Brazilian winger was linked with a move to the Premier League throughout the summer, with Manchester City and Liverpool keen on signing him, however, after featuring in Madrid's starting lineup last week, he is satisfied with his role and has decided against exiting Santiago Bernabeu.
Real Madrid outcast Rodrygo appears set to move to Real Madrid amid strong interest from Premier League giants Manchester City and Liverpool. The Brazilian's situation at the Santiago Bernabeu has become worse since Xabi Alonso took charge as the manager. Rodrygo remained an unused substitute in Los Blancos' La Liga season opener against Osasuna on Tuesday.
Xabi Alonso has explained why he left Manchester City transfer target Rodrygo on the bench in Real Madrid's narrow 1-0 victory over Osasuna in their La Liga opener on Tuesday evening. It was an underwhelming performance from Los Blancos, who edged the contest thanks to a Kylian Mbappe penalty.
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