'Home for his hamster' - Rodrygo receives bizarre man of the match award after starring for Brazil with fans joking prize looks like a 'science project'

The forward's powerful long-range strike proved to be the match-winner, securing three crucial points for Brazil in the CONMEBOL World Cup Qualifier against Ecuador on Friday. Although Rodrygo's brilliance on the field was undeniable, the prize he received for being adjudged the MVP of the match spurred hilarious reactions on social media due to the peculiar design of the award.

A Reddit user, @LeavingCertCheat, asked: "What in the ever living f*ck is that?"

Meanwhile, @ronnietea wrote: "A new home for his hamster."

On the other hand, @Brohajar2K opined: "MOTM awards getting wild. Next one will be a Mammoth tusk or something."

@supplementarytables wrote: "That looks like a project I made for school like 7 years ago."

Whereas @gimmebalanceplz wrote: "Look how proud he is of his little science project."

Beyond his goal, Rodrygo’s overall performance demonstrated why he is one of Brazil’s most vital players. He finished the game with two key passes, showing his ability to create chances for his team-mates. In addition, he completed three successful dribbles and was fouled three times as the Ecuadorians struggled to contain his movement. He also won six out of eight ground duels.

Brazil have not had an easy path in the current World Cup qualifying cycle. The five-time world champions had a rough patch at the end of last year, suffering back-to-back losses to Uruguay, Colombia, and Argentina. Those defeats left Brazil in an uncharacteristic position in sixth place in the standings after six rounds, causing concern among fans. However, the victory against Ecuador has improved Brazil’s situation as they now sit in fourth place with 10 points. The CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying system grants automatic qualification to the top six teams, with the seventh-placed team advancing to a playoff.

Rodrygo will be eager to continue his goal-scoring form when Brazil lock horns against Paraguay on Tuesday evening at Estadio Defensores del Chaco away from home.