# Rodrigo Zalazar
**Rodrigo Zalazar Martínez** (born 1999 in Albacete, Spain) is a Uruguayan professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for Sporting CP of Liga Portugal and for the Uruguay national team.
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1999, Albacete, Spain; Uruguayan international[1](https://as.com/futbol/rodri-zalazar-estoy-muy-agradecido-a-marcelo-bielsa-f202607-n/) |
| Position | Attacking midfielder, also used on the wings and centrally[3](https://www.gamemodelsfootball.com/ratings/mbappe-ratings/Rodrigo%20Zalazar-1999) |
| Club career | Málaga youth; Eintracht Frankfurt 2019; loans at Korona Kielce, St. Pauli, and Schalke 04; Schalke 2022; SC Braga 2023; Sporting CP 2026[4](https://www.footballtransfers.com/en/players/rodrigo-zalazar-martinez-1/transfer-history) |
| Honors | 2. Bundesliga 2021/22 (Schalke 04); Taça da Liga 2023/24 (SC Braga)[5](https://www.ligaportugal.pt/player/80858/rodrigo-zalazar/20252026/285) |
| 2025/26 season | 23 goals and 8 assists in 47 games for SC Braga[6](https://www.sporting.pt/en/node/133400) |
| Uruguay | Debut 14 June 2023 vs Nicaragua; 11 caps, 3 goals, 516 minutes; 2026 World Cup squad[7](https://www.auf.org.uy/rodrigo-zalazar/) • [8](https://as.com/futbol/mundial/uruguay-en-el-mundial-2026-convocatoria-lista-jugadores-grupo-y-calendario-f202606-n/) |
## Family background
Football runs through the family. His father, José Luis Zalazar, was a Uruguay international, with 22 friendly appearances, 1 [FIFA World Cup](https://www.edgepedia.org/fifa-world-cup) match, and 6 World Cup qualifying matches for Uruguay, and is remembered as an idol at Albacete, where he played in the 1990s.[9](https://www.auf.org.uy/jose-luis-zalazar/) • [10](https://as.com/futbol/internacional/zalazar-muy-cerca-del-sporting-de-portugal-f202605-n/) Rodrigo was born in Albacete during his father's time there and grew up mainly in Málaga, where he was a youth player at [Málaga CF](https://www.edgepedia.org/malaga-cf); his parents still live in the city.[1](https://as.com/futbol/rodri-zalazar-estoy-muy-agradecido-a-marcelo-bielsa-f202607-n/) • [11](https://www.sporting.pt/pt/futebol/equipa-principal/plantel/rodrigo-zalazar-martinez)
His brothers are also footballers.
## Club career
**Spain and Germany.** Zalazar moved from Albacete to Málaga's youth setup in 2015 and joined [Eintracht Frankfurt](https://www.edgepedia.org/eintracht-frankfurt) on a free transfer in July 2019. Frankfurt loaned him to [Korona Kielce](https://www.edgepedia.org/korona-kielce) in Poland for 2019/20, to St. Pauli for 2020/21, and to Schalke 04 in August 2021; he joined Schalke permanently for €1.5 million in July 2022.[4](https://www.footballtransfers.com/en/players/rodrigo-zalazar-martinez-1/transfer-history) At St. Pauli, a tactical analysis described him as an attacking thrust from midfield in a high-risk, high-reward style.[13](https://totalfootballanalysis.com/player-analysis/rodrigo-zalazar-at-st-pauli-2020-21-scout-report-tactical-analysis-tactics) In Gelsenkirchen he established himself as a high-quality attacking midfielder and took part in Schalke's promotion to the [Bundesliga](https://www.edgepedia.org/bundesliga), winning the German second division in 2021/22 and then playing a top-flight season.[2](https://www.wikisporting.com/index.php?title=Rodrigo_Zalazar) • [5](https://www.ligaportugal.pt/player/80858/rodrigo-zalazar/20252026/285)
**SC Braga.** In July 2023 he moved to SC Braga in Portugal. The transfer fee is reported differently across sources: FootballTransfers lists €6 million,[4](https://www.footballtransfers.com/en/players/rodrigo-zalazar-martinez-1/transfer-history) while Wiki Sporting gives €4 million[2](https://www.wikisporting.com/index.php?title=Rodrigo_Zalazar) and Sportpul gives €8.40 million.[14](https://sportpul.com/en/football/player/r-zalazar/) He spent three seasons there, winning the [Taça da Liga](https://www.edgepedia.org/taca-da-liga) in 2023/24 and appearing in the Champions League and Europa League.[5](https://www.ligaportugal.pt/player/80858/rodrigo-zalazar/20252026/285) • [3](https://www.gamemodelsfootball.com/ratings/mbappe-ratings/Rodrigo%20Zalazar-1999) Across his three Braga seasons he made 79 league appearances with 26 goals and 16 assists.[15](https://theanalyst.com/players/14783/rodrigo-zalazar/career) The CIES Football Observatory rated him among the standout players in his position in non-big-5 European leagues, with a technical performance score of 86.7 over 1,371 minutes at age 24.[16](https://football-observatory.com/IMG/pdf/mr94en.pdf)
His 2025/26 season was the best of his career: 23 goals and 8 assists in 47 games across all competitions, placing him among the most decisive players in the Portuguese championship.[6](https://www.sporting.pt/en/node/133400) • [10](https://as.com/futbol/internacional/zalazar-muy-cerca-del-sporting-de-portugal-f202605-n/) He scored in high-profile matches that season, including a 90'+6' equalizer against [Sporting CP](https://www.edgepedia.org/sporting-cp) in March 2026 and goals against [FC Porto](https://www.edgepedia.org/fc-porto) and Santa Clara.[5](https://www.ligaportugal.pt/player/80858/rodrigo-zalazar/20252026/285) He also had a noted record against Benfica, scoring in three consecutive meetings that Braga did not lose.[17](https://as.com/futbol/champions/me-cuesta-imaginar-al-madrid-ganando-en-lisboa-f202602-n/)
**Sporting CP.** He was presented as a Sporting player for 2026/27 in July 2026 and scored on his early league appearances, including a 46th-minute goal against Estrela Amadora on 8 August 2026.[6](https://www.sporting.pt/en/node/133400) • [5](https://www.ligaportugal.pt/player/80858/rodrigo-zalazar/20252026/285)
## International career
Zalazar debuted for Uruguay on 14 June 2023 in a friendly against [Nicaragua](https://www.edgepedia.org/nicaragua), a 4-1 win at the Estadio Centenario. Through October 2026 he had 11 caps, 6 wins, 2 draws, and 3 losses, with 3 goals in 516 minutes, a goal every 172 minutes.[7](https://www.auf.org.uy/rodrigo-zalazar/) He credits coach [Marcelo Bielsa](https://www.edgepedia.org/marcelo-bielsa) with giving him his international debut.[1](https://as.com/futbol/rodri-zalazar-estoy-muy-agradecido-a-marcelo-bielsa-f202607-n/) He was named in Uruguay's squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.[8](https://as.com/futbol/mundial/uruguay-en-el-mundial-2026-convocatoria-lista-jugadores-grupo-y-calendario-f202606-n/)
## Playing style
Zalazar is a versatile attacking midfielder who has been deployed as a number 10, in central midfield, and on both wings.[3](https://www.gamemodelsfootball.com/ratings/mbappe-ratings/Rodrigo%20Zalazar-1999) • [18](https://the-goalpost.com/players/rodrigo-zalazar) After arriving in Portugal he described the difference from German football: in Germany the game is more intense, while at Braga, a team that likes to keep possession as much as possible, the game is different.[19](https://www.abola.pt/noticias/zalazar-surpreendido-com-nivel-da-liga-portuguesa-2023111920300737540) Off the pitch he has business interests in Málaga, where he and his spouse opened a Pilates studio, Mocca Pilates, in the Teatinos district in July 2026.[1](https://as.com/futbol/rodri-zalazar-estoy-muy-agradecido-a-marcelo-bielsa-f202607-n/)
## References
1. [Rodri Zalazar: "Estoy muy agradecido a Marcelo Bielsa", AS](https://as.com/futbol/rodri-zalazar-estoy-muy-agradecido-a-marcelo-bielsa-f202607-n/)
2. [Rodrigo Zalazar, Wiki Sporting](https://www.wikisporting.com/index.php?title=Rodrigo_Zalazar)
3. [Rodrigo Zalazar Profile, Game Models](https://www.gamemodelsfootball.com/ratings/mbappe-ratings/Rodrigo%20Zalazar-1999)
4. [Rodrigo Zalazar Transfer History, FootballTransfers](https://www.footballtransfers.com/en/players/rodrigo-zalazar-martinez-1/transfer-history)
5. [Rodrigo Zalazar, Liga Portugal](https://www.ligaportugal.pt/player/80858/rodrigo-zalazar/20252026/285)
6. [Rodrigo Zalazar: "Vou dar tudo o que tenho e mais pelo Sporting CP", Sporting CP](https://www.sporting.pt/en/node/133400)
7. [Rodrigo Zalazar, AUF](https://www.auf.org.uy/rodrigo-zalazar/)
8. [Uruguay en el Mundial 2026: convocatoria, lista, jugadores, grupo y calendario, AS](https://as.com/futbol/mundial/uruguay-en-el-mundial-2026-convocatoria-lista-jugadores-grupo-y-calendario-f202606-n/)
9. [José Luis Zalazar, AUF](https://www.auf.org.uy/jose-luis-zalazar/)
10. [Zalazar, muy cerca del Sporting de Portugal, AS](https://as.com/futbol/internacional/zalazar-muy-cerca-del-sporting-de-portugal-f202605-n/)
11. [Rodrigo Zalazar Martínez, Sporting CP official site](https://www.sporting.pt/pt/futebol/equipa-principal/plantel/rodrigo-zalazar-martinez)
12. [Rodri Zalazar sobre el Málaga, Cadena SER](https://cadenaser.com/andalucia/2026/07/13/rodri-zalazar-han-conseguido-poner-el-malaga-donde-merece-estar-por-la-historia-por-la-grandeza-del-club-ser-malaga/)
13. [Sensational Zalazar: the 21-year-old set to explode onto the Bundesliga scene, Total Football Analysis](https://totalfootballanalysis.com/player-analysis/rodrigo-zalazar-at-st-pauli-2020-21-scout-report-tactical-analysis-tactics)
14. [Rodrigo Zalazar Martínez: Stats and Matches, Sportpul](https://sportpul.com/en/football/player/r-zalazar/)
15. [Rodrigo Zalazar Career History, Opta Analyst](https://theanalyst.com/players/14783/rodrigo-zalazar/career)
16. [Monthly Report 94, CIES Football Observatory](https://football-observatory.com/IMG/pdf/mr94en.pdf)
17. ["Me cuesta imaginar al Madrid ganando en Lisboa", AS](https://as.com/futbol/champions/me-cuesta-imaginar-al-madrid-ganando-en-lisboa-f202602-n/)
18. [Rodrigo Zalazar, GoalPost](https://the-goalpost.com/players/rodrigo-zalazar)
19. [Zalazar surpreendido com nível da Liga Portuguesa, A Bola](https://www.abola.pt/noticias/zalazar-surpreendido-com-nivel-da-liga-portuguesa-2023111920300737540)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Association football › Football people and teams › People › Men's footballers of South America › Uruguayan men's footballers*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license