Author: Amrit Santlani
Voting for the 15th edition of the Samba de Ouro trophy is underway and Rodrygo will be among the 10 players competing for the top prize. The prestigious award will crown the best Brazilian player in the men’s, women’s and under-23 categories.
Neymar won the main prize last year and it remains to be seen whether Rodrygo will be able to succeed the Al Hilal star. Voting for the Samba Gold Trophy 2023 has begun and the winner will be crowned in a month’s time.
Rodrygo, who plays for one of the biggest clubs in the world, had a stupendous year in 2023, when he won three titles with his club.
Neymar has once again been nominated for the men’s Samba Ouro and will be the favorite to win another award, having won the trophy for the last three years.
Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker, Manchester’s Casemiro and PSG’s Marquinhos are expected to be some of the main candidates, along with Madrid’s Rodrygo and his fellow countryman Vinicius Junior.
Rodrygo played a total of 55 games representing Real Madrid and the Brazilian national team in the calendar year 2023. He scored 18 goals and also provided 7 assists. In terms of titles, the winger won the Club World Cup, the Copa del Rey and the European Super Cup with Madrid.
In the 2022-23 season, Rodrygo scored two goals against Chelsea in the UEFA Champions League, which helped Madrid reach the semi-finals, where they lost to ManCity, the eventual champions. He also scored two goals in the Copa del Rey final, which helped Madrid lift the Spanish Cup after a gap of almost 10 years.
This season, the 22-year-old has scored one goal and provided one assist in 11 matches in all competitions.
Arsenal’s Gabriel Martinelli, Newcastle’s Joelinton and Bruno Guimarães and City goalkeeper Ederson were also nominated for the main award.