Who is Rodrigo De Paul? Argentine footballer who is in India along with Lionel Messi

Lionel Messi, star Argentine footballer, is currently on his India tour, where he will visit four major cities to meet and greet his fans. Along with Messi, Rodrigo De Paul and Luis Suarez are also in India and have been spotted sharing the stage with the Argentine star. Several pictures and videos of Rodrigo, along with Messi, have been circulating over social media in recent days, fuelling curiosity among netizens about who Rodrigo is and why he is also in India.

Who is Rodrigo De Paul?

Born on May 24, 1994, in Buenos Aires, Rodrigo De Paul is also an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Major League Soccer club Inter Miami and the Argentina national team. He made his debut as a professional footballer in 2013 for Racing Club when he came as a substitute for Diego Villar in a 3-0 defeat against Atletico de Rafaela.

The next year, he was transferred to Valencia for 6.5 million USD. He returned to Racing Club in 2016, but after a short stint, he went back to Europe and landed at Udinese, a football club based in Udine, Italy.

In 2021, Rodrigo De Paul signed a 5-year contract with Atletico Madrid, after winning the Copa America with Argentina. Earlier this year, he joined Inter Miami on an initial 6-month loan from Atletico Madrid.

He made his international debut for the national team in 2018 against Iraq and later became a regular player under manager Lionel Scaloni.

Rodrigo De Paul's personal life

At the age of 14, De Paul almost came close to quitting football after the death of his grandfather, Osvaldo De Paul. He stopped attending training sessions, but his reserve team coach came to find him and convinced him to return to the club.

De Paul holds an Italian citizenship because of his mother's descent. He was in a relationship with an Argentine model, Camila Homs, and have two children together. In 2022, the two announced their separation.

Later, De Paul also dated Argentine singer Tini for two years between August 2021 to August 2023.