The dog ate my passport: Family pooch dogs rookie's All Blacks call-up
The utility back with the Hamilton-based Chiefs was one of four uncapped players included in Scott Robertson's Championship squad. The phone call from Robertson informing him of his selection had come as a massive surprise.
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Rodrigo De Paul interview: Joining Miami, teaming with Messi, idolizing Beckham
Rodrigo de Paul has been called many things. In Argentina he's known as El Motorcito (the little engine) due to his tireless play and high-tempo personality on the pitch. In other parts of the world, and especially for English-language audiences, the 31-year-old central midfielder is recognized as Lionel Messi's on-field bodyguard. Advertisement If the equivalent of a football skirmish breaks out when Argentina and Messi are protagonists, De Paul is there to provide a snark remark or an ominous stare at an opponent. If you kick Messi, it's almost a given that De Paul will remember your shirt number and get his retaliation at some point. So is he a modern version of the football hard man or an old-school enforcer? The truth lies somewhere between the type of player De Paul was when he broke out at Udinese, then a 22-year-old No. 10, and who he has become in 2025. The bodyguard moniker can lead to misinformed opinions about a player with a contemporary player profile. He isn't the Argentine version of Casemiro, nor is he much like former Argentina pit bull, Javier Mascherano, who is now his coach in Miami. Perhaps De Paul is misunderstood. 'If you ask me, I try to be a box-to-box midfielder,' De Paul told The Athletic. 'I'm an interior midfielder who can play with two midfielders, with three, but who can cover the whole pitch box-to-box. I try to be the most complete player I can be.' In his second game for Inter Miami on August 2, a penalty shootout win over Mexican side Necaxa in the Leagues Cup, De Paul contributed two assists. The first was a glancing header in transition that landed at the feet of teammate Telasco Segovia, who promptly scored with a curling shot to the far post. De Paul's second assist came when his deft free kick found Jordi Alba, who flicked the ball with his head and wrong-footed Necaxa's goalkeeper to tie the match. De Paul then coolly slotted home his penalty to help Miami claim the victory. His first goal for Miami came on Wednesday night against Pumas. It was a well-taken chance from close range that exemplified De Paul's attacking origins. For all of his gamesmanship, and at times needless bickering with opponents and referees, De Paul is a player who is constantly around the ball. His two goal contributions against Necaxa and the goal versus Pumas came with Lionel Messi watching from the stands, after he suffered a hamstring injury last week. Yannick ➡️ @LuisSuarez9 ➡️ Rodri De Paul ⚽ — Inter Miami CF (@InterMiamiCF) August 7, 2025 De Paul won't recreate what Messi can do as an elite playmaker. But his past as an enganche, the prototypical attacking No. 10 that South America still reveres, makes him an intriguing signing for MLS. 'It's true that I started out playing a bit higher up the pitch, and then I became the player I am today,' De Paul said. 'But I don't feel like I make any superhuman effort in either facet — not when it comes to having the ball and attacking, or when it's time to defend and suffer a bit, because every club and every team goes through moments in a match where you have to suffer and defend. And I believe that.' Advertisement For Argentina, De Paul has been a do-everything midfielder for the reigning World Cup and Copa América champions. Selfless and passionate, De Paul pocketed the traditionally hard to please Argentine fanbase with his willingness to give everything for his country, no matter the opponent. But behind the rugged style of play is an appetite for celebrity. De Paul is unafraid to stand out for a global paparazzi that brings the football and fashion worlds together. His partner is Argentine actor and singer Martina Stoessel, known as Tini. He's an Adidas brand ambassador, and like Messi in 2024, De Paul launched his own energy drink which is peculiarly named 'Shhhh! Energy.' 'This is a brand that represents me,' De Paul wrote on social media when the product launched. 'It's here to silence the excuses, the false promises and the hate. It's made from good energy.' Curiously, De Paul admitted that he talks a lot. He's also quite proud that his energetic play style has become synonymous with his on-field demeanor. But when he was asked to name something that many may not know about him, De Paul laughed, and said,'I don't know. I think people read a lot of things about me. My life is a bit more boring or more low-key than people think.' His 13.6 million Instagram followers know that the trendsetting De Paul has a growing interest in fashion, too. If there's a popular hairstyle that footballers and Hollywood types consider in vogue, you can bet that De Paul will partake or even set the standard. It's similar to how Miami co-owner David Beckham established looks and embraced popular culture in the late 1990s and continues to today. De Paul is Argentina's No. 7 and dons the same number in Miami. It's a number that remains linked to Beckham, someone after whom De Paul models himself – and who just happens to be the husband of a former international pop star. Advertisement 'Obviously the fact that David is here also had an influence on my decision,' De Paul said. 'I really liked how he played, his way of being, how he lived. And in a conversation with him he conveyed to me his desire for me to be part of this project that he is very committed to and that he built from the ground up.' Coming to the U.S. could result in commercial opportunities for De Paul that may have passed him by had he stayed with Atlético Madrid. He's one of the more marketable players on an Argentina national team that has never been more popular globally and has already booked its place for the 2026 World Cup. Having recently broken ground on their U.S. headquarters in Miami, the Argentina Football Federation (AFA) is bullish on its plan to market the AFA brand and the national team's top players in North America. Brand partnerships weren't on his mind when he decided to sign with Miami, though, De Paul said. Instead, it was the chance to be Messi's teammate on a day-to-day basis that convinced De Paul to leave Europe at 31 and come to MLS. Beckham signed with the LA Galaxy from Real Madrid at the same age. 'Honestly, fashion and all that fascinates me. But I'm a football player,' De Paul said. 'What I love most is playing football. In terms of how I perform and who I am, if there's also a brand that can grow alongside that, then that's great. But the focus is always on what happens on the field, and that's what I work on every day.' De Paul said that he didn't get burned out by the high demands of Champions League-level football. He didn't side-step the stigma that MLS carries, the dreaded retirement league label that MLS continues to try and shake. 'This was a very personal decision, based on the fact that I wanted to get to know this league, to be part of its growth,' De Paul said. 'I don't think you make decisions just for the sake of it — you evaluate them, you think them through.' Advertisement There's always criticism from fans and pundits when an internationally known player leaves top level South American and European football to sign with an MLS club. De Paul acknowledges that he has heard and read such opinions about his move. He's in Miami to take it easy, they've claimed. 'I'm not settling at all,' he said. 'My mindset is the complete opposite of what some people have said — that coming here is a bit of a complacent move because I'll be guaranteed to play. I don't feel that way. I actually feel much more pressure — because of what it will take, because of who I am, because people will demand and expect me to step up every weekend. And I want that.' When a reporter suggested that Argentina fans were concerned that playing in MLS will jeopardize his spot in Argentina's midfield, De Paul smiled cynically. He had said a moment earlier that Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni had all but blessed the decision. 'Who did you talk to? Who said that?' De Paul retorted. 'There are over 50 million Argentines, not sure how many you talked to.' 'I don't feel like they're worried,' he added. 'I think they've known me for many years. They know how I perform on the field. They know what I'm capable of giving (to the Argentina shirt). I'm aware of the challenge, especially with the World Cup just a year away and because of my age. Maybe the easiest thing would've been to stay in Europe. I had plenty of offers. But I've always liked these kinds of things — challenges, testing whether I can push a little further beyond my limits.' De Paul hopes that the South Florida heat and humidity, the cross-country travel and the transitional nature of MLS will add new footballing concepts to his game. 'Every league plays differently — some focus more on playing style, others are more physical, others more tactical,' De Paul said. 'I'll be adapting, learning everything I need to about a new league — while not losing sight of everything that I've brought with me: lots of experience, maturity, and of course football. Especially with how I play, all of those things are very valuable.' Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Play today's puzzle
