Rodrigo Zalazar

Rodrigo Zalazar
Personal information
Full name Rodrigo Zalazar Martínez
Date of birth (1999-08-12) 12 August 1999
Place of birth Albacete, Spain
Height 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)[1]
Position Attacking midfielder
Team information
Current team
 Sporting CP
Number 17
Youth career
2007–2014 Albacete
2014–2016 Málaga
2016–2017 San Félix
2017–2018 Málaga
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2018–2019 Atlético Malagueño 0 (0)
2019–2022 Eintracht Frankfurt 0 (0)
2019–2020 → Korona Kielce (loan) 8 (0)
2019–2020 → Korona Kielce II (loan) 10 (3)
2020–2021 → FC St. Pauli (loan) 34 (6)
2021–2022 → Schalke 04 (loan) 30 (6)
2022–2023 Schalke 04 22 (1)
2023–2026 Braga 79 (26)
2026– Sporting CP 2 (1)
International career‡
2018–2019 Uruguay U20 19 (1)
2023– Uruguay 8 (2)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 14 August 2026
‡ National team caps and goals as of 19 November 2025

Rodrigo Zalazar Martínez (born 12 August 1999) is a Uruguayan professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for Primeira Liga club Sporting CP and the Uruguay national team.[2][3]

Club career

Early career

Zalazar joined the youth categories of Albacete Balompié in 2007, aged eight.[4] In 2014, he moved to Málaga CF and was initially assigned to the Cadete squad.[5]

In 2018, after finishing his formation, Zalazar was promoted to Málaga's reserve team in Segunda División B, but remained unregistered for the entire season after the club had no free registration spots;[6] he then refused a loan to a Tercera División side, as his contract was due to expire in the following summer.[7]

Eintracht Frankfurt

On 2 July 2019, Zalazar signed a four-year contract with Bundesliga club Eintracht Frankfurt on 2 July 2019.[8]

Loan to Korona Kielce

Three days after joining Eintracht Frankfurt, Ekstraklasa side Korona Kielce signed Zalazar on a one-year loan deal for 2019–20 season.[9] He made his professional debut on 20 July 2019, coming on as a 70th minute substitute for Erik Pačinda in a 1–0 league win against Raków Częstochowa.[10]

Rarely used in the first team, Zalazar also played for Korona Kielce II in the III liga, scoring three goals in 10 appearances.

Loan to FC St. Pauli

On 6 August 2020, 2. Bundesliga club FC St. Pauli announced the signing of Zalazar on a season-long loan deal.[11][12] He scored his first professional goal on 19 October, netting the equalizer through a penalty in a 2–2 home draw against 1. FC Nürnberg.[13]

Zalazar finished the 2020–21 season with six goals in 35 appearances overall, as St. Pauli finished in the 10th position.

Schalke 04

On 4 August 2021, Zalazar agreed to join fellow second division side Schalke 04 on a season-long loan with an option to make the move permanent until 2026.[14] On 25 March 2022, Schalke exercised this option, and he agreed to a permanent four-year contract with the club, effective as of 1 July.[15] He finished the campaign as a regular starter as the club won promotion to the Bundesliga as champions, scoring the decisive goal in a 3–2 victory over St. Pauli that secured promotion.[16]

Zalazar made his debut in the main category of German football on 7 August 2022, starting in a 3–1 away loss against 1. FC Köln. He scored his first goal in the top tier six days later, netting the opener in a 2–2 home draw against Borussia Mönchengladbach.[17]

In June 2023, after Schalke's relegation back to the second level, newspaper Bild reported that Zalazar was seeking a move away from the club.[18]

Braga

In July 2023, Zalazar joined Primeira Liga side Braga, signing a four-year contract for a reported transfer fee of €6m.[19]

Sporting CP

On 15 May 2026, Sporting CP announced the signing of Zalazar for a fee of €30 million, and a release clause of €80 million. This made him the most expensive transfer between two Portuguese clubs, surpassing the previous €20 million record Porto paid for David Carmo.[20] Zalazar made his debut for the club on 8 August 2026, scoring a goal and providing an assist in a 2–2 draw against Estrela da Amadora.[21]

International career

Born in Spain to Uruguayan parents, Zalazar was eligible to represent both Uruguay and Spain at international level. While his older brother chose Spain, he followed his father's footsteps and chose to play for Uruguay.[22]

Zalazar started to feature for the nation's under-20 team in 2018,[23][24] being also included in Fabián Coito's squad for the 2019 South American U-20 Championship in January 2019.[3][25] He played seven matches in the tournament, helping his team to finish third.

In June 2023, Zalazar received his first call-up to the senior team for friendly matches against Nicaragua and Cuba.[26] He made his debut on 14 June, scoring two goals in a 4–1 win against the former.[27] On 31 May 2026, he was named in Uruguay's 26-man squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.[28]

Personal life

Zalazar comes from a footballing family. He is the son of former Uruguayan international footballer José Zalazar. Nicknamed El Osito (The Bear Cub), he inherited the nickname from his father, who was known as El Oso (The Bear).[29] He was born in Albacete, Castilla–La Mancha, while his father was playing for the local club Albacete.[22] Both of his brothers, Kuki Zalazar and Mauro Zalazar, are also professional footballers who have represented Spain and Uruguay, respectively, at youth level.[30]

Career statistics

Club

As of match played 14 August 2026[31]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup[a] League cup[b] Europe Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Atlético Malagueño 2018–19 Segunda División B 00———00
Eintracht Frankfurt 2019–20 Bundesliga 0000—0000
2020–21 Bundesliga 0000——00
2021–22 Bundesliga 0000—0000
Total 0000000000
Korona Kielce II (loan) 2019–20 III liga 103———103
Korona Kielce (loan) 2019–20 Ekstraklasa 8010——90
FC St. Pauli (loan) 2020–21 2. Bundesliga 34610——356
Schalke 04 (loan) 2021–22 2. Bundesliga 30621——327
Schalke 04 2022–23 Bundesliga 22111——232
Total 527320000559
Braga 2023–24 Primeira Liga 326224011[c]0498
2024–25 Primeira Liga 19411109[d]3308
2025–26 Primeira Liga 2816202115[d]64723
Total 7926537135912639
Sporting CP 2026–27 Primeira Liga 2100000021
Career total 185431057135923758
  1. ↑ Includes Polish Cup, DFB-Pokal, Taça de Portugal
  2. ↑ Includes Taça da Liga
  3. ↑ Nine appearances in UEFA Champions League, two appearances in UEFA Europa League
  4. 1 2 Appearances in UEFA Europa League

International

As of match played 18 November 2025[2]
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National teamYearAppsGoals
Uruguay 202312
20241[a]0
202560
202600
Total82
  1. ↑ Includes a Non-FIFA friendly played against Basque Country, which is counted as an official match by Uruguayan Football Association.
Scores and results list Uruguay's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Zalazar goal.
List of international goals scored by Rodrigo Zalazar
No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
114 June 2023Estadio Centenario, Montevideo, Uruguay Nicaragua2–04–1Friendly
24–0

Honours

Schalke 04

Braga

Individual

References

  1. ↑ "Zalazar, Rodrigo Zalazar Martínez - Footballer | BDFutbol". www.bdfutbol.com. Retrieved 1 May 2026.
  2. 1 2 Rodrigo Zalazar at Soccerway
  3. 1 2 "8 - Rodrigo Zalazar". Retrieved 27 July 2019.
  4. ↑ "Rodrigo Zalazar: talento uruguayo cultivado en Albacete" [Rodrigo Zalazar: Uruguayan talent raised at Albacete] (in Spanish). Diario AS. 4 July 2023. Retrieved 12 July 2023.
  5. ↑ "La saga de los Zalazar" [The saga of the Zalazar] (in Spanish). Marca. 6 November 2014. Retrieved 12 July 2023.
  6. ↑ "Así queda la plantilla del Atlético Malagueño" [This is how the Atlético Malagueño squad end up] (in Spanish). El Desmarque. 1 September 2018. Retrieved 12 July 2023.
  7. ↑ "¡Incomprensible! Meléndez y Rodri Zalazar, sin ficha" [Incomprehensible! Meléndez and Rodri Zalazar, unregistered] (in Spanish). Merchán en directo. 3 September 2018. Retrieved 12 July 2023.
  8. ↑ "Eintracht Frankfurt sign Rodrigo Zalazar, could be sent out on loan". Eintracht Frankfurt. Retrieved 27 July 2019.
  9. ↑ "Rodrigo Zalazar loaned to Korona Kielce". Eintracht Frankfurt. Retrieved 27 July 2019.
  10. ↑ "RAKÓW CZĘSTOCHOWA VS. KORONA KIELCE 1-0". Soccerway. Retrieved 27 July 2019.
  11. ↑ "Der FC St. Pauli verpflichtet Mittelfeldspieler Rodrigo Zalazar" [FC St. Pauli signed midfielder Rodrigo Zalazar] (in German). FC St. Pauli. Retrieved 6 August 2020.
  12. ↑ "St. Pauli leiht Rodrigo Zalazar von Eintracht Frankfurt aus" [St. Pauli is loaning Rodrigo Zalazar from Eintracht Frankfurt]. kicker (in German). 6 August 2020. Retrieved 6 August 2020.
  13. ↑ "Zalazar: "I feel very much at home and try to show that on the pitch"". FC St. Pauli. 21 October 2020. Retrieved 12 July 2023.
  14. ↑ "Rodrigo Zalazar joins FC Schalke 04". FC Schalke 04. 4 August 2021.
  15. ↑ "Rodrigo Zalazar signs permanent deal with FC Schalke 04". Schalke 04. 25 March 2022.
  16. ↑ "Schalke promoted back to Bundesliga after one season away". AP News. 7 May 2022.
  17. ↑ "Last-minute Bülter penalty earns S04 a draw against Gladbach". FC Schalke 04. 13 August 2022.
  18. ↑ "Schalke droht Transfer-Stau" [Schalke threatens a transfer jam] (in German). Bild. 11 June 2023. Retrieved 12 July 2023.
  19. ↑ "Schalke's Rodrigo Zalazar agrees four-year deal at Braga". OneFootball. 13 July 2023.
  20. ↑ "Zalazar é a contratação mais cara de sempre entre clubes portugueses" (in Portuguese). 15 May 2026. Retrieved 16 May 2026.
  21. ↑ "Portugal: Rodrigo Zalazar debutó con gol y asistencia en empate 2-2 del Sporting de Lisboa" (in Spanish). 8 August 2026. Retrieved 9 August 2026.
  22. 1 2 "Rodrigo Zalazar nació en Albacete y eligió jugar para Uruguay" [Rodrigo Zalazar was born in Albacete and chose to play for Uruguay] (in Spanish). Radio Uruguay. Retrieved 27 July 2019.
  23. ↑ "La Sub-20 uruguaya cuenta con Rodri" [The Uruguay under-20s count with Rodri] (in Spanish). Málaga CF. 12 June 2018. Retrieved 12 July 2023.
  24. ↑ "Rodri Zalazar, campeón con Uruguay sub 20 en Catar" [Rodri Zalazar, champion with Uruguay under-20s in Qatar] (in Spanish). El Desmarque. 24 September 2018. Retrieved 12 July 2023.
  25. ↑ "Sub-20 Plantel para Chile 2019" [Squad of the under-20s for Chile 2019] (in Spanish). AUF. 19 December 2018. Archived from the original on 16 January 2019. Retrieved 15 January 2019.
  26. ↑ "Siguen sumándose futbolistas convocados a los entrenamientos" [Footballers called up to trainings keep on joining] (in Spanish). AUF. 5 June 2023. Retrieved 15 June 2023.
  27. ↑ "Selección: Bielsa eligió a Matías Viña como capitán en un equipo con muchos debutantes" [National team: Bielsa chose Matías Viña as captain in a team with a lot of debutants] (in Spanish). Fútbol.uy. 14 June 2023. Retrieved 15 June 2023.
  28. ↑ "Mundial 2026: Uruguay dio a conocer la lista de 26 convocados por Marcelo Bielsa" (in Spanish). 31 May 2026. Retrieved 31 May 2026.
  29. ↑ "Rodrigo Zalazar interview: Braga No10 on Europa League ambitions and following in his father's footsteps". 7 May 2026. Retrieved 9 August 2026.
  30. ↑ "Zalazar: Wearing the Uruguay shirt is a source of pride". 24 January 2025. Retrieved 9 August 2026.
  31. ↑ "Rodrigo Zalazar - Club matches". worldfootball.net.
  32. ↑ "Schalke crowned 2021/22 Bundesliga 2 champions". 15 May 2022. Retrieved 16 May 2022.
  33. ↑ "Sp. Braga vence a Taça da Liga pela terceira vez" [Sp. Braga wins Taça da Liga for the third time]. Público (in Portuguese). 27 January 2024. Retrieved 28 January 2024.
  34. ↑ "Zalazar named VITO Midfielder of the Month in Liga Portugal Betclic". Liga Portugal. 13 February 2024. Retrieved 14 February 2024.
  35. ↑ "Zalazar, the HeyDoc Liga Portugal Betclic Midfielder of the Month". Liga Portugal. 13 January 2026. Retrieved 13 January 2026.
  36. ↑ "Rodrigo Zalazar named the Hey Doc Liga Portugal Betclic Midfielder of the Month". Liga Portugal. 11 March 2026. Retrieved 11 March 2026.
  37. ↑ "Zalazar once again named the HeyDoc Liga Portugal Betclic Midfielder of the Month". Liga Portugal. 8 April 2026. Retrieved 8 April 2026.
  38. ↑ "Zalazar earns his spot in the Liga Portugal Betclic Team of the Season midfield". Liga Portugal. 25 May 2026. Retrieved 25 May 2026.
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