João Rodrigo
association football player
- November 8, 1977 · Rio de Janeiro
- October 29, 2013 · Rio de Janeiro
- 35 years
- murdered
About João Rodrigo
João Rodrigo, 35, Brazilian footballer (Bangu, Östers, Madureira), murdered.
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Full Biography
|João Rodrigo Silva Santos (8 November 1977 – c. 29 October 2013), known as just João Rodrigo, was a Brazilian professional footballer who played as a forward.
Career
João Rodrigo played for Brazilian clubs Bangu, Madureira, Duque de Caxias, Remo, Volta Redonda, Tigres, Duque de Caxias, Olaria, Botafogo (DF) and Bonsucesso.[citation needed] He also spent a short time in Honduras with Olimpia. In 2003, he played briefly for Swedish club Öster, where he played six matches and scored one goal in Allsvenskan.
Death
João Rodrigo was murdered by suspected drug traffickers on 29 October 2013, aged 35, in Rio de Janeiro. He did not return home that night. When his wife opened the door on her way to work the next morning, she found his severed head on the step of their front and, according to the police, inside a backpack. His eyes and tongue had been gouged out, according to Brazilian media reports.
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Sources
- Wikipedia
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jo%C3%A3o_Rodrigo
- CC BY-SA 4.0
- Sep 26, 2026
- View article
- View record
- September 29, 2026
- Sep 26, 2026
Trivia & Knowledge· 16 questions
Questions drawn from João Rodrigo's archived record and the sources above.
1.What was the full birth name of the professional footballer known as João Rodrigo?
- A.João Rodrigo Santos Silva
- B.João Santos Silva Rodrigues
- C.João Rodrigo Silva Santoscorrect
- D.João Silva Rodrigues Santos
The biography explicitly identifies his full name as João Rodrigo Silva Santos.
Source: biographical introduction
2.In what year was João Rodrigo born?
- A.1981
- B.1977correct
- C.1975
- D.1979
João Rodrigo was born on 8 November 1977.
Source: biographical introduction
3.Which position did João Rodrigo play during his professional football career?
- A.Forwardcorrect
- B.Defender
- C.Midfielder
- D.Goalkeeper
João Rodrigo played as a professional footballer in the position of forward.
Source: biographical introduction
4.In which country did João Rodrigo play for the club Olimpia?
- A.Sweden
- B.Argentina
- C.Brazil
- D.Hondurascorrect
João Rodrigo spent a short time playing for the club Olimpia while in Honduras.
Source: career section
5.How many goals did João Rodrigo score while playing for the Swedish club Öster?
- A.Onecorrect
- B.Three
- C.Four
- D.Two
During his brief time in 2003 with the Swedish club Öster, João Rodrigo scored exactly one goal.
Source: career section
6.How many matches did João Rodrigo play for the Swedish club Öster?
- A.Sixcorrect
- B.Four
- C.Seven
- D.Five
João Rodrigo played six matches for the Swedish club Öster in 2003.
Source: career section
7.In what city did João Rodrigo die?
- A.Rio de Janeirocorrect
- B.São Paulo
- C.Brasília
- D.Salvador
João Rodrigo was murdered in Rio de Janeiro on 29 October 2013.
Source: death section
8.What was the age of João Rodrigo at the time of his death?
- A.36
- B.33
- C.34
- D.35correct
João Rodrigo was 35 years old when he was murdered in October 2013.
Source: death section
9.Who does the text identify as the suspected perpetrators of the murder of João Rodrigo?
- A.Disgruntled club owners
- B.Drug traffickerscorrect
- C.Corrupt police officers
- D.Rival football fans
The text states that João Rodrigo was murdered by suspected drug traffickers.
Source: death section
10.What was discovered on the front step of João Rodrigo's home on the morning after his murder?
- A.His football boots
- B.A threatening letter
- C.His missing wallet
- D.His severed headcorrect
João Rodrigo's wife found his severed head on the step of their front door the morning after he did not return home.
Source: death section
11.According to reports, where was the head of João Rodrigo found by his wife?
- A.Inside a cardboard box
- B.Inside a backpackcorrect
- C.Wrapped in a cloth
- D.In a plastic bag
Police indicated that the severed head of João Rodrigo was found inside a backpack.
Source: death section
12.Which of the following physical features were reported to be missing or gouged out from João Rodrigo?
- A.Fingers and ears
- B.Lips and nose
- C.Ears and nose
- D.Eyes and tonguecorrect
Brazilian media reported that João Rodrigo's eyes and tongue had been gouged out.
Source: death section
13.Which of these clubs did João Rodrigo play for during his career?
- A.Santos
- B.Bangucorrect
- C.Cruzeiro
- D.Flamengo
The text lists Bangu as one of the Brazilian clubs for which João Rodrigo played.
Source: career section
14.João Rodrigo played for which of the following clubs twice according to the text?
- A.Volta Redonda
- B.Bonsucesso
- C.Olaria
- D.Duque de Caxiascorrect
The list of clubs provided in the text includes Duque de Caxias twice.
Source: career section
15.Approximately when did João Rodrigo die?
- A.29 November 2013
- B.8 November 2013
- C.8 October 2013
- D.29 October 2013correct
The biography notes the date of death as approximately 29 October 2013.
Source: biographical introduction
16.Which of the following is listed in the 'See also' section of the provided biography?
- A.List of unsolved murders (2000–present)correct
- B.Statistics of the Allsvenskan league
- C.Famous Brazilian athletes
- D.History of Brazilian Football
The list of unsolved murders (2000–present) is explicitly mentioned in the See also section.
Source: see also section
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