Rui Patrício facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Rui Patrício

Patrício with Portugal at the 2018 FIFA World Cup
Personal information
Full name	Rui Pedro dos Santos Patrício
Date of birth	(1988-02-15) 15 February 1988 (age 37)
Place of birth	Marrazes, Portugal
Height	1.90 m (6 ft 3 in)
Position(s)	Goalkeeper
Team information
Current team	Atalanta
Number	28
Youth career
1997–2000	Leiria e Marrazes
2000–2006	Sporting CP
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2006–2018	Sporting CP	327	(0)
2018–2021	Wolverhampton Wanderers	112	(0)
2021–2024	Roma	96	(0)
2024–	Atalanta	0	(0)
International career‡
2003–2004	Portugal U16	5	(0)
2004–2005	Portugal U17	11	(0)
2005–2006	Portugal U18	4	(0)
2006–2007	Portugal U19	10	(0)
2007–2008	Portugal U20	8	(0)
2007–2010	Portugal U21	14	(0)
2010–	Portugal	108	(0)
Medal record Men's football Representing  Portugal UEFA European Championship Winner 2016 France Bronze 2012 Poland–Ukraine UEFA Nations League Winner 2019 Portugal FIFA Confederations Cup Third 2017 Russia
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 10 February 2024 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 21 March 2024

Rui Pedro dos Santos Patrício (born 15 February 1988) is a Portuguese professional footballer. He plays as a goalkeeper for Serie A club Atalanta. He also plays for the Portugal national team. People sometimes call him "São Patrício" (which means St. Patrick).

Rui Patrício grew up playing football at the Sporting CP youth academy. He first played for the main team when he was 18 years old. He played in 467 official games for Sporting. During his twelve years with the club, he won five trophies. These included two Portuguese Cups.

In 2018, he moved to England to join Wolverhampton Wanderers. In 2021, he signed with Roma in Italy. In his first season there, he helped them win the Europa Conference League.

Patrício first played for Portugal in 2010. He played his 100th game for his country in 2021. He has played for Portugal in three World Cups and four European Championships. He helped Portugal win the European Championship in 2016 and the Nations League in 2019.

Club Journey

Playing for Sporting CP

Rui Patrício was born in a village called Marrazes in Leiria, Portugal. When he was young, he played as a striker. But a scout from Sporting CP saw him playing in goal. The scout was so impressed that he signed the 12-year-old to the club's youth team.

Patrício played his first game in the Primeira Liga on 19 November 2006. Sporting won 1–0 against Marítimo. He was playing because the main goalkeeper, Ricardo, was not available. In that game, he saved a penalty kick with 15 minutes left.

In the 2007–08 season, Patrício became Sporting's main goalkeeper. He played his first UEFA Champions League game on 27 November 2007. This was a 1–2 loss against Manchester United.

In 2008, there were rumors that Patrício might move to Inter Milan in Italy. But he stayed with Sporting. In the Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira final against Porto, he saved a penalty. Sporting won that game 2–0.

On 20 December 2012, Patrício won Sporting's Footballer of the Year award for the second year in a row. On 18 October 2014, he saved another penalty against Porto. This helped Sporting win 3–1 in the Taça de Portugal cup.

Patrício was one of 30 players nominated for the 2016 Ballon d'Or award. This award is for the best football player in the world. On 18 February 2017, he played his 400th game for Sporting. He was named Player of the match in a 1–0 win against Rio Ave.

On 15 May 2018, Patrício and some of his teammates faced a difficult situation. Some supporters of Sporting attacked the club's training ground. Despite this, Patrício and the team agreed to play in the Portuguese Cup final. They lost 2–1 to Aves.

Patrício played 467 official games for Sporting. This is the second-highest number of games in the club's history. Only Hilário da Conceição played more.

Moving to Wolverhampton Wanderers

On 18 June 2018, Rui Patrício joined Wolverhampton Wanderers in England. He signed a four-year contract. He chose to wear the No.11 shirt instead of his usual No.1. This was to honor Carl Ikeme, a former Wolves goalkeeper who had retired due to illness.

Patrício played his first league game for Wolves on 11 August 2018. It was a 2–2 draw against Everton. In his first season, he kept nine clean sheets, which was a club record. Wolves finished seventh in the Premier League and qualified for the Europa League.

In the 2019–20 season, Patrício kept 13 clean sheets. He also helped the team reach a European quarter-final for the first time since 1972. On 19 February 2021, he played his 100th Premier League match. Wolves won 1–0 against Leeds United.

Time with Roma

On 13 July 2021, Patrício moved to the Italian club Roma. He signed a three-year deal. He played his first game for Roma on 19 August. It was a 2–1 win against Trabzonspor in the UEFA Europa Conference League.

Three days later, he played his first Serie A game, a 3–1 win against Fiorentina. He played in almost every game that season. He helped Roma win the first-ever Europa Conference League. This included the 1–0 final win against Feyenoord.

Patrício left Roma on 30 June 2024, when his contract ended.

Joining Atalanta

On 27 August 2024, Patrício joined another Italian club, Atalanta. He signed a one-year deal as a free agent.

Playing for Portugal

Patrício with Portugal at the 2017 Confederations Cup

Rui Patrício started playing for the Portuguese under-21 team in 2007. In 2008, the senior team coach, Luiz Felipe Scolari, called him up for a friendly game against Italy. He was also chosen for the UEFA Euro 2008 squad, but he did not play in the tournament.

Patrício made his debut for the senior national team on 17 November 2010. He played the second half of a 4–0 friendly win against Spain. He then became the main goalkeeper for Portugal under coach Paulo Bento. He played in the UEFA Euro 2012 tournament, where Portugal reached the semi-finals.

He was also the first-choice goalkeeper for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. He played in the first game against Germany, which Portugal lost 0–4. He missed the next game due to an injury.

On 30 June 2016, Patrício played his 50th international game during UEFA Euro 2016. In the quarter-final against Poland, he saved a penalty in the shootout. This helped Portugal win 5–3 and reach the semi-finals. Portugal went on to win the tournament, and Patrício played a great game in the final.

He was also part of the squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. On 17 November 2018, he was captain for the first time in a game against Italy.

In 2019, Portugal won the 2019 UEFA Nations League Final against the Netherlands. Patrício earned his 81st cap in this game. This meant he had played more games than any other Portuguese goalkeeper, passing Vítor Baía.

He reached 100 caps on 12 October 2021. This was in a 5–0 win against Luxembourg. He became the seventh Portuguese player and the first goalkeeper from his country to reach this milestone.

For the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, Diogo Costa became the main goalkeeper for Portugal. Patrício did not play in the tournament.

Career Statistics

Club

International

Trophies and Awards

Statue of Patrício and the Henri Delaunay Trophy, unveiled in Leiria in May 2017 to remember a save he made in the Euro 2016 final.

Sporting

• Taça de Portugal: 2006–07, 2007–08, 2014–15
• Taça da Liga: 2017–18
• Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira: 2007, 2008, 2015

Roma

• UEFA Europa Conference League: 2021–22

Portugal

• UEFA European Championship: 2016
• UEFA Nations League: 2018–19

Individual Awards

• SJPF Young Player of the Month: January 2008, April 2009, November 2010, March 2011, April 2011
• SJPF Player of the Month: April 2011
• Sporting CP Footballer of the Year: 2011, 2012
• LPFP Primeira Liga Goalkeeper of the Year: 2011–12, 2015–16
• UEFA European Championship Team of the Tournament: 2016
• O Jogo Primeira Liga Team of the Year: 2017
• SJPF Primeira Liga Team of the Year: 2017
• UEFA Europa League Squad of the Season: 2017–18
• UEFA Europa Conference League Team of the Season: 2021–22

Orders

• Commander of the Order of Merit

Images for kids

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  Patrício with Sporting in 2012

See also

In Spanish: Rui Patrício para niños