Rodrygo opened the scoring for Real Madrid in the fourth minute of the game.
Bringing the shooting boots at clutch moments, rescuing the team in the last moment and now achieving the elite company at the European stages. Brazilian International Rodrygo Goes keeps on entertaining the world of football.
Rodrygo’s opener and Brahim Diaz scoring in the second half proved to be enough for Real Madrid as they won the first leg 2-1. The 24-year-old was also presented with the Player of the Match trophy for his contributions. After scoring against Atletico Madrid on Tuesday, Rodrygo also became the fifth youngest player to cross the 25-goal mark in the Champions League.
At 24 years and 54 days old, he became the fifth-youngest player to achieve this milestone, joining the ranks of Erling Haaland, Kylian Mbappé, Lionel Messi, and Raúl. The Brazilian’s journey at Real Madrid has been marked by rapid progress and a knack for rising to the occasion.
From his early substitute appearances to now being a regular starter, his development has been nothing short of impressive. It felt like yesterday when he was chasing the ranks as he’s become one of the most experienced players at Real Madrid now. Growing under the guidance of Carlo Ancelotti and the company of Vinicius Jr, Rodrygo has surely carved himself into a gem of a player.
There aren’t many players with a better profile than Rodrygo in the Champions League. Being the fifth youngest to hit the 25-goal mark, the Brazilian winger has beaten his fellow countrymen Vinicius Jr to the tally.
Vinicius Jr also achieved the 25-goal mark as a 24-year-old in October 2024. However, Rodrygo is said to be a few months younger than Vinicius Jr. to achieve this milestone.
Real Madrid striker Kylian Mbappé on the other hand could be said to be in a different league during his early days. Mbappé bagged his 25th Champions League goal as a 22-year-old back in March 2021. As of March, 2025, Mbappé has scored 55 goals in 84 UEFA Champions League appearances.
Rodrygo not only competes at the highest level with his elite teammates but he could also be counted among the all-time greats of the competition. Clenching the 25-goal mark, Rodrygo has beat Cristiano Ronaldo to the tally. The All-time highest goalscorer of the Champions League took 63 games to reach 25 goals compared to Rodrgo’s 61 games.
Lionel Messi on the other hand could be termed in his league making these comparisons look unnecessary. It took only 45 appearances for the little magician to score 25 goals in the competition.
Even though Rodrygo has started to build his legacy at Madrid, it’ll be too soon for him to rank among the greats. Given that the ferocious winger keeps delivering in clutch moments for Madrid, Rodrygo sure looks on the right path of chasing them.
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