Real Madrid’s Álvaro Rodríguez lighting up U20 South American Championship

He is from Palamós, he plays for Uruguay and Real Madrid are very excited about the young prospect that is Álvaro Rodríguez. The 18-year-old chose to represent Uruguay in the South American U20 Championship being played in Colombia and the Uruguayan national team have felt his impact immediately.

The Real Madrid Castilla striker scored a hat-trick against Bolivia (4-1) and with it, he put his country into the next stage of the tournament that brings together the best young talent in South America.

Rodríguez scored a second-half hat-trick after Bolivia made it 1-0 in the fifth minute. It was a performance to remember for the many scouts present at the tournament. Madrid signed him to a new contract at the end of last year until 2027 to reward him for his growth.

For Madrid, El Toro - as he is known in Valdebebas because of his power - is a player for the future. For the time being, it is not only Raúl who has enjoyed him at close quarters. The Spanish-Uruguayan was the first youth-team player to make his debut this season, in the match against Cacereño in the Copa del Rey. His teammate Mario Martín was the second player to play for Carlo Ancelotti’s side on Thursday against Atlético Madrid.

Rodríguez had a slow start at the U20 Championship, suffering from a blister problem in the early stages of the tournament. His performance against Bolivia saw him score a hat-trick with only four shots.

Raúl a fan of Rodríguez

Another Madrid player is also standing out at the tournament. Argentine player Nico Paz, an 18-year-old left-footed player, also plies his trade with Castilla and is expected to make his debut for Madrid in the near future.

Raúl made the decision this season to give Rodríguez a starting place over Iker Bravo, La Fábrica’s star signing this season, who is on loan from Bayer Leverkusen. Rodríguez’s next match in the South American Championship will be on Tuesday 31 January, against an opponent yet to be decided. He will have that fixture and four more to continue to shine.