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His life was threatened at birth, the touching story of the Swiss player

2026-06-13 17:23:00, Sport CNA

His life was threatened at birth, the touching story of the Swiss player

Switzerland defender Ricardo Rodriguez is set to make his fourth appearance at a World Cup finals. The 33-year-old, who currently plays for Real Betis in Spain, has been included in the official list of players selected for the global tournament, alongside experienced names such as captain Granit Xhaka and winger Dan Ndoye.

Switzerland will be part of Group B, where they will face one of the co-organizers, Canada, as well as Bosnia and Herzegovina and Qatar. Beyond the sporting aspect, Rodriguez's career, with 137 international matches, has been built on overcoming a serious health challenge since birth.

During his mother's eighth month of pregnancy, medical tests revealed that Rodriguez was suffering from a congenital diaphragmatic hernia. This clinical anomaly had caused the stomach, spleen, liver and intestines to move into the chest cavity, compressing the lungs. Medical reports at the time gave the newborn only a 50 percent chance of survival, which led to him undergoing emergency surgery immediately after birth.

During the first three years of his life, the player had to undergo regular hospital check-ups every six months and avoid respiratory infections due to the high sensitivity of his respiratory system.

Despite initial medical forecasts that ruled out his involvement in elite sport, Rodriguez has established himself as one of the most consistent left-backs in European football. The former AC Milan and Wolfsburg player holds a special record with the Swiss national team, not missing a single minute of play in the last three World Cups he has participated in. At club level, part of his sporting biography is winning the German Cup and Super Cup, as well as being named Swiss Footballer of the Year in 2014.

 


In recent seasons, Rodriguez has been part of Real Betis, with whom they reached the UEFA Conference League final just over a year ago, where they were defeated by Chelsea. At this World Cup, he comes as the technical staff's first choice at left-back.





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