Maxi Rodríguez facts for kids

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Maxi Rodríguez

Rodríguez playing for Argentina in 2012

Personal information

Date of birth

2 January 1981 (age 44)

Place of birth

Rosario, Argentina

Height

1.80 m

Playing position

Winger, attacking midfielder

Youth career

Newell's Old Boys

Senior career*

Years

Team

Apps^†

(Gls)^†

1999–2002

Newell's Old Boys

(20)

2002–2005

Espanyol

111

(26)

2005–2010

Atlético Madrid

121

(32)

2010–2012

Liverpool

(15)

2012–2017

Newell's Old Boys

138

(48)

2017–2018

Peñarol

(12)

2019–2021

Newell's Old Boys

(9)

Total

556

(162)

National team

2001

Argentina U20

(4)

2003–2014

Argentina

(16)

Honours

Men's football

Representing Argentina
FIFA World Cup
Runner-up	2014 Brazil
FIFA Confederations Cup
Runner-up	2005 Germany

Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.

† Appearances (Goals).

Maximiliano Rubén Rodríguez (born on January 2, 1981), known as Maxi Rodríguez, is a famous Argentine former football player. People nicknamed him La Fiera, which means The Beast in English. He usually played as a winger (on the sides of the field) or as an attacking midfielder (in the middle, helping score goals).

Maxi spent most of his professional career in Spain. He played for Espanyol and Atlético Madrid. Over eight seasons, he played 232 matches and scored 58 goals in La Liga, Spain's top football league. He also played for two years with Liverpool in England. Maxi started and ended his career at Newell's Old Boys in Argentina.

He was an Argentina international player for 11 years. Maxi played for his country in three World Cups. He helped Argentina finish second in the 2014 World Cup. He played 57 games for his national team.

Club Football Journey
Playing for Argentina
Personal Life
Other Activities
Honours and Awards
Images for kids
See also

Club Football Journey

Starting at Newell's and Moving to Espanyol

Maxi Rodríguez was born in Rosario, Santa Fe, Argentina. He grew up playing football in the youth system of Newell's Old Boys. This team is in the Argentine Primera División, Argentina's top league. He played for Newell's for three seasons before moving to Spain.

In March 2002, Maxi signed a four-year deal with RCD Espanyol in Spain's La Liga. He made his first appearance for Espanyol on September 2. He played the whole game in a 2–0 loss against Real Madrid. His first goal came on October 27, helping his team win 4–3 against Málaga CF. This was Espanyol's first away win in over a year.

Maxi played 37 matches in each season for Espanyol. In his last season (2004–05), he scored 15 goals. This made him one of the top scorers in the league. He scored three goals in one game against Real Betis on September 12. Six days later, he scored the only goal in a win against Real Madrid. He also scored two goals against Real Sociedad on November 7. In the next game, his penalty kick helped his team win against Racing de Santander. This briefly put his team at the top of the league.

Playing for Atlético Madrid

At the start of the 2005–06 season, Maxi moved to Atlético Madrid. He continued to play very well there. In his second year, he had a serious knee injury. This meant he could only play in ten games that season.

On November 10, 2009, Maxi scored four goals against UD Marbella in the Copa del Rey (Spain's main cup competition). Atlético Madrid won that game 6–0. After Fernando Torres left the team in 2007, Maxi became the new captain of Atlético Madrid. He did not play in the 2009–10 UEFA Europa League campaign, which his team won.

Time at Liverpool

Rodríguez training with Liverpool in 2011

On January 13, 2010, Maxi Rodríguez joined Liverpool in England for free. He signed a three-and-a-half-year contract. Liverpool's manager, Rafael Benítez, said Maxi was "comfortable on the ball" and "good at getting into the box and scoring goals." Maxi was given the number 17 shirt. He played his first game for Liverpool on January 16 against Stoke City. He came on as a substitute in the second half. His first full game was a week later against Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Maxi helped set up two goals in his first games, both for his former Atlético teammate, Fernando Torres. He scored his first goal for Liverpool on April 25, 2010, in a 4–0 win against Burnley.

The 2010–11 season was great for Maxi. He scored ten goals in the league. This included three goals in one game (a hat-trick) against Birmingham City in a 5–0 win. He also scored a hat-trick against Fulham in a 5–2 away win. In that game, he scored two goals in the first seven minutes. One of them was just 32 seconds into the match!

On July 8, 2011, Maxi changed his jersey number to 11. He scored two goals in a friendly game against the Malaysian national team. On August 24, he started his first game of the 2011–12 season in the Football League Cup. He scored the second goal in a 3–1 win against Exeter City.

On November 20, 2011, Maxi scored against Chelsea, helping Liverpool win 2–1. Nine days later, he scored against Chelsea again in the League Cup. Liverpool went on to win the League Cup that season.

On December 26, 2011, Maxi scored his second league goal of the season in a 1–1 draw against Blackburn Rovers. He scored his last two goals for Liverpool on April 10, 2012, in a 3–2 win against the same team.

Coming Back to South America

On July 13, 2012, Maxi left Liverpool. He had played 73 games and scored 17 goals for the club. He returned to his first professional team, Newell's Old Boys. Before leaving, he wrote a letter to Liverpool fans, thanking them for their support.

Maxi played his first game back for Newell's on August 5, 2012. In June 2013, he helped his team win the Torneo Final, a part of the Argentine league championship.

In July 2017, Maxi, at 36 years old, moved to the Uruguayan club Peñarol. He won the league title with Peñarol in both of his seasons there. In late 2018, he returned to Newell's Old Boys on an 18-month contract.

On November 27, 2021, Maxi Rodríguez announced he was retiring from professional football at age 40. His last match was at home against Club Atlético Banfield, where he received a standing ovation. The next January, he joined a regional team called Hughes Foot Ball Club. He played there with his childhood friend and former teammate, Ignacio Scocco.

Maxi had a special farewell match at the Estadio Marcelo Bielsa on June 24, 2023. Famous players from Newell's Old Boys played against historic players from the Argentina national team. Lionel Messi, who was celebrating his 36th birthday, was also there. Maxi scored for both teams in a 7–5 game. His two daughters, Alma and Aitana, also scored a goal each in the second half.

Playing for Argentina

Maxi Rodríguez won the 2001 FIFA World Youth Championship with Argentina's under-20 team. This tournament was held in Argentina. He scored four goals in seven matches. He scored the first and last goals for the winning team. He played his first game for the senior Argentina team in a friendly match against Japan on June 8, 2003. He came on as a substitute and scored a goal in a 4–1 win.

Maxi was part of the team for the 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup. He was then chosen for the 2006 FIFA World Cup by coach José Pékerman. On June 16, he scored two goals in Argentina's 6–0 win against Serbia and Montenegro in the group stage. In the next round, he scored the winning goal against Mexico in extra time. He controlled a pass with his chest and then kicked the ball into the top corner from outside the penalty area. This goal was voted the best goal of the tournament in an online poll by FIFA.

Rodríguez (furthest left) in action against Germany at the 2010 World Cup

After Argentina lost to Germany in the quarter-finals of the 2006 World Cup, Maxi was disciplined. FIFA fined him and suspended him for two matches. After a serious knee injury in October 2006, he missed the 2007 Copa América.

Maxi scored in Diego Maradona's first game as Argentina's coach, a 1–0 friendly win against Scotland. On May 19, 2010, he was named in the squad for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. In the last home game before the World Cup, he scored two goals against Canada in a 5–0 win.

In June 2014, Maxi was on Argentina's team for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. He started in their first game, a 2–1 win against Bosnia and Herzegovina. He played the first half before being substituted. He played again in the semi-finals against the Netherlands. The game ended 0–0 after extra time. Maxi scored the winning goal in the penalty shootout. This sent his country to the World Cup final for the first time in 24 years.

Personal Life

Maxi Rodríguez was raised by his mother, Claudia, at his grandparents' home. He never met his father. He is the cousin of other football players, Alexis Rodríguez and Denis Rodríguez. All three of them played for Newell's Old Boys at the same time.