Rodrigo Soares da Costa (born 16 August 1993), better known simply as Rodrigo, is a Brazilian beach soccer player who plays as a forward. He won the 2017, 2024 and 2025 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup representing Brazil and claimed the Golden Ball award at the last competition;Rodrigo, Bryshtsel and Avgustov grab golden awards. FIFA. 11 May 2025. Retrieved 11 May 2025. he has also appeared at three other World Cups (2015, 2019, 2021).RODRIGO. CBSB. 1 March 2020. Retrieved 13 October 2020. Rodrigo now sits inside the top ten of Brazil's all-time top scorers.Top scorers. CBSB. 1 March 2020. Retrieved 13 October 2020.
Rodrigo is considered one of the world's top players, as recognised at multiple Beach Soccer Stars awards ceremonies.
Early life Rodrigo was born and raised in a favela in Rio de Janeiro. He grew up playing casual beach soccer on the sands of Copacabana.“With beach soccer I can show the kids of the favela that it is possible to follow a good path in life”. Beach Soccer Worldwide. 14 January 2020. Retrieved 13 October 2020.
Career Rodrigo grew up playing casual beach soccer on Copacabana beach. He joined his first competitive club, Botafogo, in 2011, aged 18. Three years later in 2014, aged 21, Rodrgio was called up to the Brazilian national team for the first time and was subsequently picked for the 2015 World Cup squad.
He particularly came to prominence in 2016, aged 23, when he won MVP awards in the Russian Superleague and Euro Winners Cup, and won the Rising Star commendation at the Beach Soccer Stars awards ceremony. The next year, he inspired Brazil to their 2017 World Cup victory in the Bahamas, winning the Silver Shoe (second highest scorer) award with nine goals.Brazil crowned world champions in The Bahamas. Beach Soccer Worldwide. 7 May 2017. Retrieved 13 October 2020.
In 2017, Rodrigo also joined top Russian club, Kristall. As of 2023, he has scored 251 goals in 176 games for the club in all competitions.RODRIGO SUAREZ DA COSTA. BSC Kristall. Retrieved 13 October 2020. By 2026, his totals with Kristall had increased to 220 matches and 322 goals across all competitions.Rodrigo Soares Da Costa. BSC Kristall. Retrieved 23 January 2026. During his tenure with Kristall, Rodrigo contributed to multiple titles, including the Euro Winners Cup in 2020 and 2021, and Russian Superleague championships in 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024.Rodrigo Soares Da Costa. BSC Kristall. Retrieved 23 January 2026.
He cemented his place as one of the world's best players when he was named as one of the world's top three players and part of the team of the year at the 2019 Beach Soccer Stars ceremony. At the 2021 World Cup, Rodrigo made his 100th appearance for Brazil in the group stage loss to Switzerland.
In addition to Kristall, Rodrigo has represented other clubs in various tournaments. He played for CR Flamengo in the Americas Winners Cup in 2024, scoring 11 goals in 6 matches and earning MVP honors.Rodrigo Soares Da Costa. Beach Soccer Worldwide. Retrieved 23 January 2026. In 2024 and 2025, he competed for Falfala Kafr Qassem BSC in the Euro Winners Cup and World Winners Cup, amassing significant goals including 13 in each of the 2024 and 2025 Euro Winners Cups. He also featured for Sportivo Luqueño in the 2025 Americas Winners Cup, scoring 9 goals in 6 matches.
Rodrigo continued his international success by helping Brazil win the 2024 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup in Dubai, scoring 6 goals in 5 matches. In the 2025 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup in Seychelles, he scored 7 goals in 6 matches, earning the Golden Ball as the tournament's best player and the Bronze Shoe as third top scorer, while leading Brazil to their seventh title with a dramatic winning goal in the final against Belarus.Rodrigo spurs Brazil to seventh star. FIFA. 12 May 2025. Retrieved 23 January 2026.Rodrigo double snatches Brazil title. FIFA. Retrieved 23 January 2026.
In 2024, Rodrigo was crowned the Best Men's Player in the world at the Beach Soccer Stars awards.Rodrigo Soares and Adriele Rocha crowned beach soccer's Best Players. Beach Soccer Worldwide. 12 February 2024. Retrieved 23 January 2026. He was nominated again for the award in 2024 (for 2024 performance).Beach Soccer Stars 2024 - #BestMensPlayer Nominees. Instagram. Retrieved 23 January 2026.
Statistics
International Competition Year Apps Goals Ref.FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup 2015 4 3 2017 6 9 2019 4 6 2021 4 5 2024 5 6 2025 6 7 Total 29 36 —
Competition Year Apps Goals Ref.Intercontinental Cup 2015 4 4 2016 4 4 2017 5 7 2018 4 8Total 17 23 —
Competition Year Apps Goals Ref.Neom Beach Soccer Cup 2023 4 3 2024 4 6 Total 8 9 —
Club Tournament Year Club Apps Goals Ref.Euro Winners Cup 2014 Catania 6 9 2015 7 9 2016 7 13 2017 Kristall 7 11 2018 6 2 2019 8 13 2020 6 9 2021 8 9 2024 Falfala Kafr Qassem 7 13 2025 Falfala Kafr Qassem 7 13 Total 69 101 —
Tournament Year Club Apps Goals Ref.Americas Winners Cup 2024 CR Flamengo 6 11 2025 Sportivo Luqueño 6 9 Total 12 20 —
Honours As of 2025.
The following is a selection, not an exhaustive list, of the major honours Rodrigo has achieved:
International FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup Winner (3): 2017, 2024, 2025 World Beach Games Winner (1): 2019 Intercontinental Cup Winner (3): 2014, 2016, 2017 Neom Beach Soccer Cup Winner (2): 2023, 2024 CONMEBOL qualifiers for the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup Winner (3): 2015, 2017, 2019 Copa América Winner (2): 2016, 2018 Mundialito Winner (2): 2017, 2023 South American Beach Games Winner (1): 2019 South American Beach Soccer League Winner (4): 2017, 2018, 2019, 2022 CONMEBOL Liga Evolución Beach Soccer Winner (1): 2026
Club
Euro Winners Cup Winner (2): 2020, 2021 Russian Superleague Winner (6): 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024Rodrigo Soares Da Costa. BSC Kristall. Retrieved 23 January 2026. Russian Cup Winner (7): 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023Rodrigo Soares Da Costa. BSC Kristall. Retrieved 23 January 2026. Russian Super Cup Winner (1): 2024Rodrigo Soares Da Costa. BSC Kristall. Retrieved 23 January 2026. Americas Winners Cup Winner (1): 2024 (with Flamengo)
Individual
FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup (3): Golden Ball: 2025 Silver Shoe: 2017 Bronze Shoe: 2025 Beach Soccer Stars (4): Rising Star: 2016 World's top 3 best players: 2019 World dream team: 2019 Best Men's Player: 2023Rodrigo Soares and Adriele Rocha crowned beach soccer's Best Players. Beach Soccer Worldwide. 12 February 2024. Retrieved 23 January 2026. Intercontinental Cup (2): Best player: 2017, 2018 CONMEBOL qualifiers for the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup (1): Top scorer: 2019 Copa América (1): Best player: 2018
Mundialito (4): Best player: 2017, 2023 Top scorer: 2017, 2023 Euro Winners Cup (1): Best player: 2016 Russian Superleague (3): Best player: 2017 Top scorer: 2017, 2019 Americas Winners Cup (1): MVP: 2024
References
External links Rodrigo da Costa, profile at Beach Soccer Worldwide