If he plays, the "eternal Rodriguez" will overtake Shaqiri with his 126th international match and will be alone in second place on the list of record international players. Rodriguez spoke exclusively to blue Sport in Seville about his plans for the national team.
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- Today in Northern Ireland, Rodriguez could play his 126th international match and thus become the sole number 2 in the ranking of Switzerland's record international players.
- If he has his way, it won't be over for a long time yet. "I want to keep playing for as long as possible because I love football. I'm feeling very good at the moment. I hope it stays that way for a long time," says Rodriguez in an exclusive interview with blue Sport in Seville.
- Incidentally, record international Granit Xhaka (135) is missing from the test match because he became a father for the third time during the week.
Today, the national team kick off the important 2025 World Cup qualifying year against Northern Ireland in Belfast. Murat Yakin's team has lost a lot of routine since Euro 2024 with the retirements of Yann Sommer, Xherdan Shaqiri and Fabian Schär.
In addition, Granit Xhaka and Manuel Akanji, the two absolute team leaders, are missing for the tests at the start of the year. And because Yakin has voluntarily dispensed with seasoned Nati cracks such as Renato Steffen, Nico Elvedi, Silvan Widmer, Steven Zuber and Christian Fassnacht, there is not much routine left in the squad.
"I'm proud of this number of international matches"
Together with Remo Freuler (32), left-back Ricardo Rodriguez (32) is the big exception. He made his debut in October 2011, aged just 19, under Ottmar Hitzfeld, and since then it has been virtually impossible to imagine the national team without him. If he takes to the pitch today, it will be his 126th international match. He would have overtaken Shaqiri (125) and would be number 2 behind Granit Xhaka (135) in the list of record internationals.
"I'm proud of this number of international caps," says Rodriguez when blue Sport visits him and his family in Seville a few days before the national team's international friendly. When asked whether his goal is to one day replace his good friend Xhaka as the national team record player, he says: "No, I don't care. We've already played together in the U-teams. I'm also very happy if he stays and I'm number two."
"I want to play for as long as possible"
In terms of World Cup and European Championship minutes, he is Switzerland's number 1. If it's up to him, he'd like to add even more World Cup minutes. "But first we have to qualify in the fall. It won't be easy. But if we perform like we did at the European Championship in Germany, we'll make it."
The 2026 World Cup would be his fourth World Cup. Rodriguez has been around for so long that he has been nicknamed "the eternal Rodriguez". How long does the "eternal Rodriguez" want to keep playing? "I don't know how long. But as long as possible, I love football. It's my passion. I'm feeling really good at the moment. I hope it stays that way for a long time."
