1. Early life and youth career
Renan Lodi was born in Serrana, São Paulo, Brazil. He began his football journey in 2012 when he joined the youth setup of Athletico Paranaense, one of Brazil's respected clubs.
2. Club career
Renan Lodi's club career has spanned several top leagues, beginning in Brazil and moving through Spain, England, and France, before his transfer to Saudi Arabia.
2.1. Athletico Paranaense
Lodi made his senior debut for Athletico Paranaense on 14 October 2016, starting in a Série A match against Grêmio, which ended in a 1-0 away loss. He subsequently represented the club's under-23 team in the Campeonato Paranaense. His first senior goal came on 25 March 2018, when he netted the opener in a dominant 5-0 home victory over Maringá.
Following his first goal, Lodi extended his contract until March 2021, signing the new terms just three days later. Under the guidance of new manager Tiago Nunes, he became a regular starter for the team. This consistent performance led to another contract renewal on 10 August 2018, securing him with the club until 2022.
2.2. Atlético Madrid
On 28 June 2019, La Liga club Atlético Madrid reached an agreement in principle with Athletico Paranaense for Lodi's transfer. The deal was officially completed on 7 July 2019, with Lodi signing a six-year contract with the Spanish side. The transfer fee was reportedly around 20.00 M EUR. Lodi was acquired to replace fellow Brazilian Filipe Luís, who had left Atlético Madrid earlier that summer, and was assigned the number 12 shirt.
He made his debut for Atlético and in La Liga on the opening day of the season against Getafe, playing as a starter. On 24 November 2019, he scored his first goal for Atlético in a 1-1 draw against Granada. Lodi garnered significant recognition for his performance in the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 first leg against Liverpool on 20 February 2020, where he was named Man of the Match and Player of the Week, contributing to his team's advancement to the quarter-finals. He was a key player for the team during the 2019-20 season, making 32 appearances in the league.
On 16 May 2021, Lodi came on as a substitute and scored a crucial late equalizing goal in Atlético's eventual 2-1 home win over Osasuna. This goal was vital in keeping the club in contention for the 2020-21 La Liga title against Real Madrid. The following week, Atlético secured the league title on the final day of the competition, making Lodi a La Liga champion. On 15 March 2022, Lodi scored his first Champions League goal, securing a 1-0 victory for Atlético Madrid against Manchester United at Old Trafford, which led to a 2-1 aggregate win and qualification for the quarter-finals.
2.2.1. Nottingham Forest (loan)
On 29 August 2022, Lodi moved to Premier League club Nottingham Forest on a season-long loan deal. He scored his first goal for Nottingham Forest on 9 November 2022, in an EFL Cup match against Tottenham Hotspur.
2.3. Marseille
On 14 July 2023, French club Olympique de Marseille announced they had reached an agreement to sign Renan Lodi from Atlético Madrid. He agreed to personal terms and signed a five-year contract. The transfer fee for Lodi was reported to be 13.00 M EUR, and the agreement included a 20% sell-on clause, meaning Atlético Madrid would receive 20% of any future transfer fee if Marseille sold him.
2.4. Al Hilal
On 17 January 2024, Lodi completed a transfer to Saudi Pro League club Al Hilal. He signed a three-and-a-half-year contract with the club, reportedly for a fee of 23.00 M EUR. He has since contributed to Al Hilal's success, helping them secure multiple titles.
3. International career
Renan Lodi made his debut for the Brazil national team on 10 October 2019, coming on as a substitute for Alex Sandro in a 1-1 friendly draw against Senegal.
During his time at Atlético Madrid, he faced a unique situation regarding international duty; both the club and manager Diego Simeone were reportedly reluctant to allow him to play for the Brazil U-23 national team. Despite this, he became a regular for the senior team. Lodi was part of the Brazil squad for the 2021 Copa América. He participated in all of Brazil's matches during the tournament, where the team finished as runners-up, losing to Argentina in the final.
4. Career statistics
4.1. Club
| Club | Season | League | State league | National cup | League cup | Continental | Other | Total | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Athletico Paranaense | 2016 | Série A | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 0 | 0 | - | 3 | 0 | ||
| 2017 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 0 | 0 | - | 7 | 0 | ||||
| 2018 | 24 | 0 | 11 | 1 | 1 | 0 | - | 12 | 2 | - | 48 | 3 | ||||
| 2019 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | 6 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 12 | 2 | |||
| Total | 30 | 0 | 18 | 1 | 2 | 0 | - | 18 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 74 | 5 | |||
| Atlético Madrid | 2019-20 | La Liga | 32 | 1 | - | 0 | 0 | - | 9 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 43 | 1 | ||
| 2020-21 | 23 | 1 | - | 2 | 0 | - | 8 | 0 | - | 33 | 1 | |||||
| 2021-22 | 29 | 2 | - | 2 | 1 | - | 10 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 42 | 4 | ||||
| Total | 84 | 4 | - | 4 | 1 | - | 27 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 118 | 6 | ||||
| Nottingham Forest (loan) | 2022-23 | Premier League | 28 | 0 | - | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | - | - | 32 | 1 | |||
| Marseille | 2023-24 | Ligue 1 | 14 | 0 | - | 1 | 0 | - | 8 | 0 | - | 23 | 0 | |||
| Al Hilal | 2023-24 | Saudi Pro League | 11 | 0 | - | 1 | 0 | - | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 14 | 0 | ||
| 2024-25 | 17 | 3 | - | 2 | 0 | - | 6 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 27 | 4 | ||||
| Total | 28 | 3 | - | 3 | 0 | - | 6 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 41 | 4 | ||||
| Career total | 184 | 7 | 18 | 1 | 10 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 59 | 6 | 9 | 0 | 284 | 16 | ||
4.2. International
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brazil | 2019 | 4 | 0 |
| 2020 | 4 | 0 | |
| 2021 | 7 | 0 | |
| 2022 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2023 | 3 | 0 | |
| Total | 19 | 0 | |
5. Honours
Renan Lodi has earned several titles and accolades throughout his club and international career.
Athletico Paranaense
- Copa Sudamericana: 2018
- Campeonato Paranaense: 2018
- Recopa Sudamericana runner-up: 2019
Atlético Madrid
- La Liga: 2020-21
Al Hilal
- Saudi Pro League: 2023-24
- King Cup: 2023-24
- Saudi Super Cup: 2023, 2024
Brazil
- Copa América runner-up: 2021
6. Personal life and notable events
Lodi faced significant psychological challenges during his early days at Atlético Madrid after moving far from Brazil at the age of 21 with only his girlfriend. He openly shared his mental instability during this period. For instance, after being sent off with two yellow cards in his La Liga debut, he told his girlfriend, "I can't do this anymore, let's go back to Brazil." He also expressed distress to coach Diego Simeone about being denied permission to play for the Brazil U-23 national team, reportedly pleading, "Please let me go back to Brazil."
In May 2020, Lodi was diagnosed with COVID-19. Despite the positive test, he remained asymptomatic and self-isolated at home as per health guidelines.