Rodrigo Fagundes de Freitas

Rodrigo Fagundes spent more than a decade moving through Brazil's lower divisions before finding a settled home. He turned professional in 2007 with CENE and, over the following years, passed through club after club in the state and regional leagues — Roma Apucarana, MS/Saad, Cascavel, Comercial, Marcílio Dias, Toledo.

He first wore Criciúma's colours in 2012, but that stay lasted only a season before more moves followed: XV de Piracicaba, Paraná, Boa Esporte, Veranópolis, Brusque, Operário Ferroviário, Santo André, Brasiliense, Botafogo-PB. It was only when he returned to Criciúma in May 2021 that his career found its shape. He became a fixture at centre-back, passing 200 appearances for the club and contributing more than 16 goals from the back line.

The Campeonato Catarinense Série B title in 2022 sent Criciúma back up to Série B, and Rodrigo followed it with Campeonato Catarinense wins in 2023 and 2024, plus the Recopa Catarinense in 2024 and 2025. He was named the competition's best defender in both 2023 and 2024, and in 2024 he set a defensive mark in the Brasileirão Série A, recording 466 defensive actions across 52 matches.

One moment stands out beyond the trophies. On 20 July 2024, away to Flamengo, Rodrigo scored Criciúma's goal in a match that finished 1-1, in a game remembered for a VAR penalty award that was saved by the goalkeeper.