Ró-Ró

Ró-Ró
Ró-Ró celebrating Qatar's victory at the 2019 Asian Cup
Personal information
Full name Pedro Miguel Carvalho Deus Correia[1]
Date of birth (1990-08-06) 6 August 1990 (age 34)[2]
Place of birth Algueirão–Mem Martins, Portugal[1]
Height 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)[3]
Position(s) Defender
Team information
Current team
 Al Sadd
Number 2
Youth career
1998–2000 Mem Martins
2000–2005 Benfica
2006 Estrela Amadora
2006–2007 Estoril
2007–2009 Farense
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2009–2010 Farense 18 (4)
2010 Aljustrelense 8 (1)
2011–2016 Al Ahli 58 (2)
2016– Al Sadd 140 (7)
International career‡
2009 Cape Verde U21
2016– Qatar 98 (1)
Medal record
Representing  Qatar
AFC Asian Cup
Winner UAE 2019 Team
Winner Qatar 2023 Team
FIFA Arab Cup
Third place Qatar 2021 Team
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 15:54, 27 September 2024 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 15:54, 27 September 2024 (UTC)

Pedro Miguel Carvalho Deus Correia (Arabic: بيدرو ميغيل كارفاليو ديوس كورييا; born 6 August 1990), known as Ró-Ró (Arabic: رُو رُو), is a professional footballer who plays for Al Sadd and the Qatar national team as a right-back or a central defender.

Having played lower-league football in Portugal, he appeared for Al Ahli and Al Sadd in the Qatar Stars League after arriving in the country in January 2011. He won several honours with the latter, including three league titles.

Born in Portugal, Ró-Ró represented Cape Verde and Qatar at under-21 and senior levels, respectively. He was part of the squads at the 2019 and 2023 Asian Cups, 2019 Copa América, 2021 Gold Cup and 2022 World Cup, winning the first two tournaments.

Club career

Born in Algueirão–Mem Martins, Sintra, Portugal of Cape Verdean descent, Ró-Ró received his nickname in tribute to his idols, the Brazilian internationals Ronaldo and Romário.[4] He played for several clubs as a youth, including Benfica where he spent nearly six seasons, and made his senior debut with Farense in the fourth division in 2009; he switched the following season to another team in that tier, Aljustrelense.[5]

In January 2011, Ró-Ró left his country of birth and signed for Al Ahli in Qatar. He scored his first goal against Al Kharaitiyat on 7 January 2012, but in a 4–2 loss.[6]

Ró-Ró appeared in only six matches in his first full season, and the Doha-based side was also relegated from the Stars League. He joined Al Sadd of the same league in 2016 and, upon his arrival, revealed his interest in playing for the Qatar national team.[7] He netted for the first time in the league for the Jesualdo Ferreira-led squad on 12 December of that year, contributing to an 8–0 home demolition of Umm Salal.[8]

At the 2019 FIFA Club World Cup on home soil, Ró-Ró scored in extra time as Al Sadd won 3–1 against New Caledonia's Hienghène Sport in the first round.[9] Playing in an attacking formation under former teammate Xavi, he was a league winner again in 2020–21, in addition to winning two national cups.[10]

International career

Ró-Ró (left) in action for Qatar against Japan at the 2019 Asian Cup Final

Ró-Ró appeared for the Cape Verde national under-21 team on 24 March 2009, playing entirely in a 2–0 friendly away loss to Portugal.[11] He also represented the nation at the 2009 Lusofonia Games tournament, where his team won the gold medal.[12]

On 29 March 2016, Ró-Ró made his debut for Qatar, starting in a 2–0 defeat in China for the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.[13] On 23 December 2017, he scored his first goal to conclude a 4–0 victory over Yemen at the 23rd Arabian Gulf Cup; the side exited in the group stage in Kuwait.[14] He played all the matches at the 2019 AFC Asian Cup, as the tournament ended in triumph in the United Arab Emirates.[15]

Ró-Ró was also called up for the country's guest appearances at the 2019 Copa América[16] and the 2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup, reaching the semi-finals of the latter.[17] At the inaugural FIFA Arab Cup, in which Qatar came third on home turf that December, his campaign ended with a first-half injury against Oman in the second group game.[18]

Coach Félix Sánchez called up Ró-Ró for Qatar's hosting of the 2022 FIFA World Cup.[4] He made three starts for the hosts, who finished bottom of their group.[19][20][21]

On 3 January 2024, Ró-Ró was included in the 2023 Asian Cup squad.[22] In the quarter-finals against Uzbekistan, he scored the decisive penalty in the 2–1 shoot-out win following a 1–1 draw.[23][24][25]

International goals

As of 23 December 2017 (Qatar score listed first, score column indicates score after each Ró-Ró goal)[26]
No Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1. 23 December 2017 Al Kuwait Sports Club, Kuwait City, Kuwait  Yemen 4–0 4–0 23rd Arabian Gulf Cup

Honours

Al Ahli

Al Sadd

Cape Verde

Qatar

References

  1. ^ a b "Pedro Correia" (in Portuguese). Mais Futebol. Retrieved 1 September 2022.
  2. ^ "Pedro Miguel Correia". Eurosport. Retrieved 13 October 2020.
  3. ^ "FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022: List of players: Qatar" (PDF). FIFA. 15 November 2022. p. 23. Retrieved 22 November 2022.
  4. ^ a b Almeida, Isaura (11 November 2022). "Pedro Correia. Há um português entre os 26 eleitos do Qatar" [Pedro Correia. There's a Portuguese among Qatar's 26 chosen players]. Diário de Notícias (in Portuguese). Retrieved 17 November 2022.
  5. ^ Almeida, Isaura (6 December 2018). "Há um português a representar a seleção do Qatar com o Mundial2022 em mente" [There's a Portuguese representing the Qatar national team with the 2022World Cup in mind]. Diário de Notícias (in Portuguese). Retrieved 10 January 2019.
  6. ^ "Kharaitiyat snap winless run". Doha Stadium Plus. 7 January 2012. Archived from the original on 10 January 2012. Retrieved 25 June 2015.
  7. ^ "Pedro: Happy to play for Al-Sadd, need to develop to win titles". Al Sadd SC. 1 February 2016. Retrieved 2 February 2016.
  8. ^ "Bounedjah scores brace as Sadd blast eight past Umm Salal". Gulf Times. 12 December 2016. Retrieved 13 December 2016.
  9. ^ "Al-Sadd 3–1 Hienghène Sport". BBC Sport. 11 December 2019. Retrieved 17 November 2021.
  10. ^ Tan, Gabriel (28 October 2021). "Is Xavi ready for Barcelona job after conquering Qatar with Al Sadd?". ESPN. Retrieved 17 November 2021.
  11. ^ "Torneio da Madeira: Portugal vence Cabo Verde entre brindes" [Madeira Tournament: Portugal defeat Cape Verde among offers] (in Portuguese). Mais Futebol. 24 March 2009. Retrieved 23 November 2022.
  12. ^ a b "Copa do Mundo FIFA: Ex-Internacional cabo-verdiano Pedro Miguel Correia (Ró-Ró) vai representar Qatar na Copa do Mundo" [FIFA World Cup: Former Cape Verdean international Pedro Miguel Correira (Ró-Ró) will represent Qatar at the World Cup] (in Portuguese). Criolo Sports. 14 November 2022. Retrieved 17 November 2022.
  13. ^ "China's victory over Qatar promises to end years of World Cup heartbreak". ESPN FC. 29 March 2016. Retrieved 12 December 2016.
  14. ^ "Qatar thrash Yemen, Bahrain hold Iraq". Oman Daily Observer. 24 December 2017. Retrieved 17 November 2021.
  15. ^ a b "Qatar prepares for Maroons' homecoming after Asian Cup win". Al Jazeera. 2 February 2019. Retrieved 4 February 2019.
  16. ^ "Coach Sanchez announces squad for Copa America 2019". Qatar Football Association. 30 May 2019. Retrieved 9 October 2021.
  17. ^ "Qatar cling on for semi-final spot in face of gutsy El Salvador comeback". Inside World Football. 24 July 2021. Retrieved 9 October 2021.
  18. ^ "Qatar reach quarter-finals after dramatic victory over Oman". The Peninsula. 3 December 2021. Retrieved 18 December 2021.
  19. ^ Hafez, Shamoon (20 November 2022). "Qatar 0–2 Ecuador". BBC Sport. Retrieved 31 December 2022.
  20. ^ Hafez, Shamoon (25 November 2022). "Qatar 1–3 Senegal". BBC Sport. Retrieved 31 December 2022.
  21. ^ Hafez, Shamoon (29 November 2022). "Netherlands 2–0 Qatar". BBC Sport. Retrieved 31 December 2022.
  22. ^ Salari, Fatemeh (4 January 2024). "Qatar calls up 26-man final squad for AFC Asian Cup". Doha News. Retrieved 14 January 2024.
  23. ^ "Qatar 1–1 Uzbekistan (Qatar win 3–2 on penalties)". BBC Sport. 3 February 2024. Retrieved 7 February 2024.
  24. ^ "Taça Asiática: Qatar nas meias com pontapé decisivo de Pedro Ró-Ró" [Asian Cup: Qatar to semi-finals with decisive kick by Pedro Ró-Ró] (in Portuguese). Mais Futebol. 3 February 2024. Retrieved 7 February 2024.
  25. ^ Mamrud, Roberto. "Pedro Miguel Carvalho Deus Correia – Century of International Appearances". RSSSF. Retrieved 23 March 2024.
  26. ^ "Qatar make winning start to Gulf Cup of Nations defence with victory over Yemen". Inside The Games. 23 December 2017. Retrieved 21 March 2018.
  27. ^ Booth, Chuck (10 February 2024). "Qatar defeat Jordan to win AFC Asian Cup final: Host nation scores three penalties to secure trophy". CBS Sports. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
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