Rodrigo De Paul
Active- Current or last club
- Inter Miami
- Country (nationality)
- Argentina
- League or competition
- Major League Soccer
- Position
- Midfielder
- How is the religion known?
- Stated publicly by the player
- Last checked
- 8 October 2026
We list a player’s religion only where they have spoken about it publicly or it has been reliably reported, and we link our sources. If something is wrong, or a player’s views have changed, please tell us and we will review it.
Table of Contents
What religion is Rodrigo De Paul?
Rodrigo De Paul is an Argentine professional football player who has publicly expressed Christian faith and trust in God, consistent with the predominantly Roman Catholic cultural background of Argentina.
While he is not known for being overtly vocal about his personal beliefs in every media appearance, De Paul has publicly expressed his gratitude toward God on multiple occasions throughout his football career.
Rodrigo De Paul plays as a midfielder for the MLS club Inter Miami. He previously played for various European clubs, including Valencia, Udinese, and Atlético Madrid. An Argentine citizen, De Paul has also played for the Argentina national football team at several major tournaments, earning over 90 caps and winning the 2022 FIFA World Cup and the Copa América in both 2021 and 2024.
Inter Miami contract
Rodrigo De Paul’s contract with Inter Miami CF pays him a base salary of $7.57 million. In 2026, he earned $9.7 million in total guaranteed compensation, according to Capology. Even at just the base salary level, Rodrigo De Paul is the third-highest-paid player in the MLS. For perspective, the average MLS player makes $632,809 per year. Players making the league minimum are paid $80,622 per year.
Early life
Rodrigo Javier De Paul was born on May 24, 1994, in a working-class neighborhood in Buenos Aires, Argentina. His parents are Roberto De Paul and Mónica Ferrarotti, and he has two brothers. De Paul began playing football in 2002 with his hometown club Racing Club. He spent ten years developing his skills there, initially training as a goalkeeper before moving into the midfield.
Club career
De Paul made his professional debut for Racing Club in February 2013, entering as a substitute against Atlético de Rafaela. He scored his first goal a month later, in a 3-0 win at San Martín de San Juan. In total, he played 54 games for Racing across two seasons and scored six goals before moving to Europe.
In 2014, Valencia signed De Paul from Racing Club for $6.5 million. He played 34 matches for the Spanish club and scored once, but he found it hard to win a regular starting spot. Because of this, he went back to Racing Club on loan in February 2016 before moving to Italy.
Udinese signed De Paul on a five-year deal for a reported fee of €3 million. His career really took off during his five seasons with the Italian club, where he became one of the most reliable midfielders in Serie A. Over five seasons, De Paul became Udinese’s captain and primary creative player. He regularly led the club in assists, chances created, and progressive carries while also contributing goals from midfield.
Atlético Madrid
Atlético Madrid signed De Paul from Udinese on a five-year contract in July 2021. Atletico did not disclose the transfer fee, but British media reported that the deal was worth €35 million.
He went on to play 187 games for the Spanish club over four seasons, scoring 14 goals and making 26 assists. During his final year with the team in 2024–25, he played 53 matches across all competitions. This impressive run included playing in three games at the FIFA Club World Cup.
Inter Miami CF
On 25 July 2025, De Paul joined Major League Soccer club Inter Miami. The move started as a short-term loan through the end of the 2025 MLS season. The deal included an option to buy him permanently until 2029. He did not take up a Designated Player spot at first because the club’s three main slots belonged to Lionel Messi, Jordi Alba, and Sergio Busquets. De Paul scored two goals and made seven assists in 23 games during his loan spell. He played a massive role in Inter Miami winning the 2025 MLS Cup, starting every playoff match and scoring the winning goal against the Vancouver Whitecaps.
Inter Miami completed his permanent transfer from Atlético Madrid on December 11, 2025, for a reported €15 million ($17 million) fee. He signed a four-year contract that runs until 2029. This permanent move officially placed him into a Designated Player slot right alongside Messi.
International career
De Paul made his senior debut for Argentina in 2018. He was a key part of the squad that won the Copa América in 2021 and made the tournament’s best eleven. He then helped Argentina win the Finalissima against Italy in 2022.
Later that year, he played a massive role in Argentina winning the 2022 FIFA World Cup title in Qatar. He played right alongside Lionel Messi throughout the entire tournament. The Argentine media even nicknamed him Messi’s “bodyguard” because of his hard work and defensive running off the ball. He followed this success by helping Argentina win the 2024 Copa América, where he was named to the tournament’s best team for a second time. He also played alongside Enzo Fernández during Argentina’s run to another World Cup final in 2026. By the end of July 2026, he had played 94 times for his country and scored two goals.
Personal life
De Paul has two children, Francesca and Bautista, from his former relationship with Camila Homs.
De Paul later started dating Argentine singer and actress Tini Stoessel in 2022. They broke up in 2023 but got back together in 2025. In May 2026, De Paul confirmed that the couple is now engaged.
Outside of his personal life, De Paul holds both Argentine and Italian citizenship. He also does a lot of charity work in his hometown of Sarandí. He funds local football academies and provides sports equipment and coaching for children in need.
Sources
Sources are linked so you can check each claim yourself. Beliefs and public statements can change, so please check the source for the latest.
