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LOS ANGELES | Xinhua | Brazilian forward Rodrygo said Saturday that he is looking forward to playing alongside Kylian Mbappe at Real Madrid after the France striker’s move to the Spanish giants.
Rodrygo admitted competition for a place in Real Madrid’s attack will be intense next season following the arrival of compatriot Endrick from Palmeiras and Mbappe from Paris Saint-Germain this summer.
“For me it will be a pleasure to play with Mbappe,” Rodrygo told reporters from Brazil’s training base in Los Angeles, where the South American giants are preparing for their opening Copa America clash against Costa Rica on Monday.
“I’ve always made it very clear. He is going to help our team a lot, to make it even stronger than it already is.”
But the 23-year-old, who has scored 54 goals in 216 appearances across all competitions for Real Madrid since his 2019 move from Santos, said his mind was currently on the Copa America.
Against Costa Rica, Rodrygo is expected to form part of an attacking trident that also includes his Real Madrid teammate Vinicius Junior and Barcelona’s Raphinha.
“Now is not the time to divert our focus, I want to concentrate on the national team,” he said. “But I also want to make it clear that it is a pleasure and a dream for me to play with one of the best players in the world.
“My goal is to bring all the good things I do with my club to the national team. I want to win titles here too.”
Rodrygo, who has scored six times in 23 appearances for Brazil, admitted he needed to improve his goal-per-game ratio for club and country to be considered among the world’s best players.
For now, he believes Vinicius Junior is a cut above the rest and deserving of Ballon d’Or honors
“I have had good numbers at club level but they could be much better,” Rodrygo said. “Today I play alongside the best player in the world, which is Vini, because of the season he has had.
“I hope that in the Copa America my numbers improve and then perhaps the discussion could be different,” he added. ■
