Puma Rodríguez

Puma Rodríguez is remembered at Vasco da Gama less for a single moment than for the way he found his way back into the side. Criticised for his defending under coach Fernando Diniz, he rebuilt his place through versatility, filling in on both flanks and further forward rather than sticking to right-back alone.

Uruguayan by birth, Rodríguez — full name José Luis Rodríguez Bebanz — came through the Danubio academy, making his debut there in 2016. A loan to Argentina's Racing Club in 2019 barely got going: he played a single match, and a buy-option worth $4 million was never taken up.

His best run in South America came at Nacional. The club won the Uruguayan championship in 2022, and Rodríguez was named to the league's Team of the Season that year.

Vasco da Gama signed him in January 2023 for around $2 million on a four-year deal.

Internationally, Rodríguez won the South American under-20 title with Uruguay in 2017 and took bronze at the 2020 pre-Olympic tournament with the under-23s. He has since been called into the senior squad, coming on as a substitute against Argentina in a 2026 World Cup qualifier in March 2025 and later featuring in a qualifier against Bolivia.