Raphinha (footballer, Born 1996)
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Raphael Dias Belloli (born 14 December 1996), known as Raphinha, is a Brazilian professional
footballer A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby lea ...
who plays as a winger or
forward Forward is a relative direction, the opposite of backward. Forward may also refer to: People *Forward (surname) Sports * Forward (association football) * Forward (basketball), including: ** Point forward ** Power forward (basketball) ** Smal ...
for
La Liga The Campeonato Nacional de Liga de Primera División, commonly known as the Primera División or La Liga, and officially known as LaLiga EA Sports for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Spain and the highest ...
club
Barcelona Barcelona ( ; ; ) is a city on the northeastern coast of Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second-most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within c ...
and the Brazil national team. Known for his work rate, pace, finishing and clinical ability, he is considered as one of the best players in the world. Raphinha began his career with Brazilian club
Avaí Avaí is a municipality in the state of São Paulo in Brazil. The population is 5,436 (2020 est.) in an area of 540 km2. Media In telecommunications, the city was served by Companhia Telefônica Brasileira until 1973, when it began to be serve ...
, before signing for the Portuguese
Vitória de Guimarães Vitoria or Vitória may refer to: People * Francisco de Vitoria (c. 1483–1546), a Spanish Renaissance theologian * Alberto Vitoria (1956–2010), Spanish footballer * Rui Vitória (born 1970), Portuguese retired footballer * Sofia Vitória (bor ...
in 2016, where he made his professional debut. In 2018, he joined fellow
Primeira Liga The Primeira Liga (), also known as Liga Portugal Betclic for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Portugal and the highest level of the Portuguese football league system. Organised and supervised by the Liga ...
club
Sporting CP Sporting Clube de Portugal (), otherwise referred to as Sporting CP or simply Sporting (particularly within Portugal), or as Sporting Lisbon in other countries,
, winning the
double Double, The Double or Dubble may refer to: Mathematics and computing * Multiplication by 2 * Double precision, a floating-point representation of numbers that is typically 64 bits in length * A double number of the form x+yj, where j^2=+1 * A ...
of the
Taça de Portugal The Taça de Portugal (; ) is an annual association football competition and the premier knockout tournament in Portuguese football. For sponsorship reasons, it has been known as Taça de Portugal Generali Tranquilidade since the 2024–25 seaso ...
and
Taça da Liga The Taça da Liga (), known outside Portugal as Portuguese League Cup, is an annual club football competition organised by the Liga Portuguesa de Futebol Profissional (LPFP) for teams competing in the top two tiers of Portuguese football – the ...
in 2019. After having played for
Rennes Rennes (; ; Gallo language, Gallo: ''Resnn''; ) is a city in the east of Brittany in Northwestern France at the confluence of the rivers Ille and Vilaine. Rennes is the prefecture of the Brittany (administrative region), Brittany Regions of F ...
and
Leeds United Leeds United Football Club is a professional football club based in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. The team compete in the Premier League, the top tier of the English football league system. Leeds United have won the League Championship th ...
, Raphinha signed for Spanish club Barcelona in 2022 for a transfer worth €58 million (£50 million). Despite initially struggling, in 2024–25, Raphinha had his breakthrough season, being integral to Barcelona winning a
domestic treble A treble in association football is achieved when a club team wins three trophies in a single season. A continental treble involves winning the club's top-level domestic league competition, main domestic cup competition, and main continental tro ...
of the
La Liga The Campeonato Nacional de Liga de Primera División, commonly known as the Primera División or La Liga, and officially known as LaLiga EA Sports for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Spain and the highest ...
title, the
Copa del Rey The , commonly known as , or (in English) the Spanish Cup or King's Cup, and formerly known as Copa del Presidente de la República (1932–1936) and Copa del Generalísimo (1939–1976), is an annual knockout football competition in Spanis ...
, and the
Supercopa de España The Supercopa de España, also known as the Spanish Super Cup, is a super cup tournament in Football in Spain, Spanish football. Founded in 1982 Supercopa de España, 1982 as a two-team competition, the current version has been contested since 2 ...
, while also finishing as the Champions League's top scorer. After never being capped at youth level, Raphinha made his senior international debut in 2021 and was part of Brazil's squads at the
2022 FIFA World Cup The 2022 FIFA World Cup was the 22nd FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial world championship for national football teams organized by FIFA. It took place in Qatar from 20 November to 18 December 2022, after the country was awarded the hosting ri ...
and the
2024 Copa América The 2024 Copa América was the 48th edition of the Copa América, the quadrennial international men's association football, soccer championship organized by South America's football ruling body CONMEBOL. The tournament was held in the United Sta ...
.


Early life

Raphinha was born in
Porto Alegre Porto Alegre (, ; , ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Brazilian Federative units of Brazil, state of Rio Grande do Sul. Its population of roughly 1.4 million inhabitants (2022) makes it the List of largest cities in Brazil, 11th-most p ...
, Brazil where he grew up in
Restinga Restingas () are a distinct type of coastal tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forest in eastern Brazil. They form on sandy, acidic, and nutrient-poor soils, and are characterized by medium-sized trees and shrubs adapted to the drier and n ...
, a
favela Favela () is an umbrella name for several types of impoverished neighborhoods in Brazil. The term, which means slum or ghetto, was first used in the Slum of Providência in the center of Rio de Janeiro in the late 19th century, which was b ...
far from the city centre. His father is of
Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance languag ...
descent and his mother is
mixed-race Brazilian Brazilian censuses do not use a "multiracial" category. Instead, the censuses use skin colour categories. Most Brazilians of visibly mixed racial origins self-identify as pardos. According to the 2022 census, "pardos" make up 92.1 million peo ...
. His father was a jobbing musician. He had a difficult upbringing where he describes sharing a bedroom with his parents, younger brother and pets; struggling to pay travel costs and at points having to beg for food. At age seven, Raphinha attended
Ronaldinho Ronaldo de Assis Moreira (born 21 March 1980), commonly known as Ronaldinho Gaúcho () or simply Ronaldinho, is a Brazilian former professional Association football, footballer who played as an attacking midfielder or left winger. Widely reg ...
's birthday party due to his father and uncle's relationship with the player and have since become friends. Before starting his professional football career, Raphinha participated in the ''várzea'' tournaments until the age of 18, which he describes as "a network of independent matches and tournaments organised by the local community" below academy level in which any prospective player is allowed to participate. The matches in these tournaments are played under harsh conditions, including home fans harassing opponent team players near changing rooms before matches, gunshots, clay pitches with dust and sand, intense heat, posts instead of nets and shirtless teams due to the lack of shirts/jerseys. Raphinha has a long-standing friendship with
Bruno Fernandes Bruno Miguel Borges Fernandes (; born 8 September 1994) is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for club Manchester United, which he captains, and the Portugal national team. Fernandes started his career at Italia ...
, starting before they became teammates at
Sporting CP Sporting Clube de Portugal (), otherwise referred to as Sporting CP or simply Sporting (particularly within Portugal), or as Sporting Lisbon in other countries,
. He is on record saying Fernandes has been a huge help to him and his footballing career. Before joining
Leeds United Leeds United Football Club is a professional football club based in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. The team compete in the Premier League, the top tier of the English football league system. Leeds United have won the League Championship th ...
in the
Premier League The Premier League is a professional association football league in England and the highest level of the English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Football Lea ...
for example, Fernandes told him that his style would "fit the league".


Club career


Avaí

After unsuccessful trials with Internacional and Grêmio, Raphinha started his career playing youth football with
Imbituba Imbituba is a port and coastal town in the southern Brazil state of Santa Catarina (state), Santa Catarina. As of 2020, it has an estimated population of 45,286. It is also home to a population of Portuguese, Italian, and German descent, and it ...
, where he was later scouted by
Avaí Avaí is a municipality in the state of São Paulo in Brazil. The population is 5,436 (2020 est.) in an area of 540 km2. Media In telecommunications, the city was served by Companhia Telefônica Brasileira until 1973, when it began to be serve ...
. At 18 years old, Raphinha started his career with the Avaí's under-20 team in the
Campeonato Brasileiro Série A The Campeonato Brasileiro Série A (; English: "Brazilian Championship A Series"), commonly referred to as the Brasileirão (; English: "Big Brazilian" or "Great Brazilian"), the Série A or the Brazilian Série A (to distinguish it from the I ...
in 2014. After being injured, he was unable to make the squad but continued to train on his own. Despite growing interest in Raphinha from many of Brazil's top clubs, Avaí retained him until 2016, where he showcased his skills at
Copa São Paulo de Futebol Júnior The Copa São Paulo de Futebol Júnior (or ''São Paulo Youth Football Cup'', in English), also known as Copa São Paulo de Juniores (''São Paulo Youth Cup'') and Copinha (''Little Cup''), is a cup competition played by Brazilian under-20 assoc ...
.


Vitória de Guimarães

On 2 February 2016, Raphinha signed for Portuguese side
Vitória de Guimarães Vitoria or Vitória may refer to: People * Francisco de Vitoria (c. 1483–1546), a Spanish Renaissance theologian * Alberto Vitoria (1956–2010), Spanish footballer * Rui Vitória (born 1970), Portuguese retired footballer * Sofia Vitória (bor ...
, having been scouted at the Copa São Paulo de Futebol Júnior by
Deco Anderson Luís de Souza (born 27 August 1977), also known as Deco (), is a Brazilian-born Portuguese former professional footballer who primarily played as an attacking or central midfielder. Born and raised in Brazil, he acquired Portuguese ...
, who signed him to his agency, D20 Sports, and arranged his transfer to Vitória. He made his debut for the ''Vimaranenses'' on 13 March 2016 against
Paços de Ferreira Paços de Ferreira () is a city in the Porto District, in the north of Portugal. The population of the city in 2011 was 7491, while its municipality had 56,340 inhabitants, in an area of 70.99 km². Sometimes referred to as the ''Capital do ...
. He scored his first goal for the club against Marítimo on 20 August 2016. He made his first appearance in the
2017–18 UEFA Europa League The 2017–18 UEFA Europa League was the 47th season of Europe's secondary club football tournament organised by UEFA, and the 9th season since it was renamed from the UEFA Cup to the UEFA Europa League. The final was played at the Parc Olymp ...
on 14 September 2017 against Red Bull Salzburg. He won the Vitória Guimarães Breakthrough Player of the Year in 2017. He scored 18 goals during 43 games (in all competitions) during the
2017–18 Primeira Liga The 2017–18 Primeira Liga (also known as Liga NOS for sponsorship reasons) was the 84th season of the Primeira Liga, the top professional league for Portuguese association football clubs. Benfica were the defending champions for a fourth consec ...
season for Vitória de Guimarães.


Sporting CP

In May 2018, Raphinha transferred to Portuguese club
Sporting CP Sporting Clube de Portugal (), otherwise referred to as Sporting CP or simply Sporting (particularly within Portugal), or as Sporting Lisbon in other countries,
until 2019. He made his debut on 12 August against
Moreirense Moreirense Futebol Clube is a Portuguese professional football club based in Moreira de Cónegos, Guimarães Municipality, Minho. Founded on 1 November 1938, it plays in the Primeira Liga, holding home games at Parque de Jogos Comendador Joaquim d ...
. He scored his first goal for the club on 20 September 2018 against Qarabag in the 2–0 victory in the
2018–19 UEFA Europa League The 2018–19 UEFA Europa League was the 48th season of Europe's secondary club football tournament organised by UEFA, and the 10th season since it was renamed from the UEFA Cup to the UEFA Europa League. The final was played at the Olympic Sta ...
. He struggled in finishing with only four goals and as many assists, in particular due to a muscle injury which hampered his progress, but was a part of the side that won the 2018–19
Taça da Liga The Taça da Liga (), known outside Portugal as Portuguese League Cup, is an annual club football competition organised by the Liga Portuguesa de Futebol Profissional (LPFP) for teams competing in the top two tiers of Portuguese football – the ...
and
Taça de Portugal The Taça de Portugal (; ) is an annual association football competition and the premier knockout tournament in Portuguese football. For sponsorship reasons, it has been known as Taça de Portugal Generali Tranquilidade since the 2024–25 seaso ...
, scoring a penalty in the penalty shootout victory against
Porto Porto (), also known in English language, English as Oporto, is the List of cities in Portugal, second largest city in Portugal, after Lisbon. It is the capital of the Porto District and one of the Iberian Peninsula's major urban areas. Porto c ...
.


Rennes

Raphinha signed for
Ligue 1 Ligue 1 (; ), officially known as Ligue 1 McDonald's France, McDonald's for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in France and the highest level of the French football league system. Administered by the Ligue de ...
club
Rennes Rennes (; ; Gallo language, Gallo: ''Resnn''; ) is a city in the east of Brittany in Northwestern France at the confluence of the rivers Ille and Vilaine. Rennes is the prefecture of the Brittany (administrative region), Brittany Regions of F ...
in 2019, with a transfer fee around €21 million, the club's record signing. He scored and gained an assist in his final game for the club during the
2020–21 Ligue 1 The 2020–21 Ligue 1 season, also known as Ligue 1 Uber Eats for sponsorship reasons, was a French association football tournament within Ligue 1. It was the 83rd season since its establishment. The season started on 21 August 2020 and ended on ...
fixture against
Reims Reims ( ; ; also spelled Rheims in English) is the most populous city in the French Departments of France, department of Marne (department), Marne, and the List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, 12th most populous city in Fran ...
in a 2–2 draw on 4 October 2020. He scored eight goals and gained seven assists during his time at the club, where he helped Rennes to a third-place finish and qualify for the
2020–21 UEFA Champions League The 2020–21 UEFA Champions League was the 66th season of Europe's premier club football tournament organised by UEFA, and the 29th season since it was renamed from the European Champion Clubs' Cup to the UEFA Champions League. Chelsea defea ...
during the
2019–20 Ligue 1 The 2019–20 Ligue 1 season, also known as Ligue 1 Conforama for sponsorship reasons, was a French association football tournament within Ligue 1. It was the 82nd season since its establishment. The season began on 9 August 2019 and ended abrupt ...
season.


Leeds United

On 5 October 2020, Raphinha joined
Premier League The Premier League is a professional association football league in England and the highest level of the English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Football Lea ...
club
Leeds United Leeds United Football Club is a professional football club based in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. The team compete in the Premier League, the top tier of the English football league system. Leeds United have won the League Championship th ...
on a four-year contract for an undisclosed fee reported to be in the region of £17 million, or about €20 Million. On 19 October 2020, Raphinha made his debut as a second-half substitute in a 1–0 loss to
Wolverhampton Wanderers Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club ( ), commonly referred to as Wolves, is a professional association football, football club based in Wolverhampton, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football league s ...
. His full debut was at home to
Arsenal An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, or issued, in any combination, whether privately or publicly owned. Arsenal and armoury (British English) or armory (American English) are mostly ...
on 22 November 2020. On 28 November 2020, Raphinha scored his first Leeds goal in a 1–0 away win over Everton. His winning goal secured Leeds' first ever Premier League win at
Goodison Park Goodison Park is a Association football, football stadium in Walton, Liverpool, Walton, Liverpool, England, it was the home of Premier League club Everton F.C., Everton from 1892 until 2025. It is now the home of Everton F.C. (women), Everton's ...
and their first league win at Everton since 1990. He finished the season with six goals, all from league fixtures. Raphinha scored his first goal of the season on 21 August 2021, in Leeds' first home game, a low-struck 72nd-minute equaliser from just inside the penalty area, in a 2–2 result against Everton, which was nominated as one of the Premier League's Goals of the Month for August. Raphinha ended the season as Leeds' top goalscorer with 11 goals, including the first goal of the game in the 2–1 away win against
Brentford Brentford is a suburban town in West (London sub region), West London, England and part of the London Borough of Hounslow. It lies at the confluence of the River Brent and the River Thames, Thames, west of Charing Cross. Its economy has dive ...
on the last day of the season, from the penalty spot after being fouled by the Brentford goalkeeper
David Raya David Raya Martín (born 15 September 1995) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for club Arsenal and the Spain national team. Regarded as one of the best goalkeepers in the world, he is known for his distribution, b ...
, confirming Leeds' Premier League status. Over the summer transfer window, Chelsea had an agreement in place with Leeds to sign him, with both clubs agreeing a fee worth of £55 million, despite
Arsenal An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, or issued, in any combination, whether privately or publicly owned. Arsenal and armoury (British English) or armory (American English) are mostly ...
and
Tottenham Hotspur Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, commonly referred to as simply Tottenham (, , , ) or Spurs, is a professional Association football, football club based in Tottenham, North London, England. The club itself has stated that it should always ...
's interest. However, Raphinha's preferred a move to
Barcelona Barcelona ( ; ; ) is a city on the northeastern coast of Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second-most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within c ...
, despite their financial struggles. This led to Raphinha flying to Barcelona to complete a deal, being left out of Leeds's squad for their pre-season tour to Australia in order to finalise a transfer.


Barcelona

On 15 July 2022, Raphinha signed for
La Liga The Campeonato Nacional de Liga de Primera División, commonly known as the Primera División or La Liga, and officially known as LaLiga EA Sports for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Spain and the highest ...
club Barcelona on a five-year contract for a reported initial fee of £50m, potentially rising to £55 million in add-ons. He was initially presented without a name or number on his shirt due to registration issues, with the club needing to sell players to register players and make new signings.


2022–23: Adaptation to Spain and La Liga title

On 13 August, Raphinha made his debut for the club in 0–0 draw against
Rayo Vallecano Rayo Vallecano de Madrid, S.A.D. (), often abbreviated to Rayo (Spanish for "thunderbolt"), is a Spanish professional football club based in the Villa de Vallecas district of Madrid. The club competes in La Liga, the top flight of Spanish foot ...
in the league. On 3 September, he scored his first goal for ''Blaugrana'' in a 3–0 victory over
Sevilla Seville ( ; , ) is the capital and largest city of the Spanish autonomous community of Andalusia and the province of Seville. It is situated on the lower reaches of the River Guadalquivir, in the southwest of the Iberian Peninsula. Seville ...
at the
Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán Stadium The Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán Stadium (; ) is a association football, football stadium in Seville, Spain. It is the home stadium of Sevilla Fútbol Club, Sevilla, and is named after the club's former president, Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán (1900–195 ...
. On 13 September, he made his continental debut for the club starting in the 2–0 loss to
Bayern Munich Fußball-Club Bayern München e. V. (FCB, ), commonly known as Bayern Munich (), FC Bayern () or simply Bayern, is a German professional sports club based in Munich, Bavaria. They are most known for their men's professional football team, ...
in the Champions League. At the end of the
group stage A tournament is a competition involving at least three competitors, all participating in a sport or game. More specifically, the term may be used in either of two overlapping senses: # One or more competitions held at a single venue and concentr ...
, Barcelona finished third, which put them in the
Europa League The UEFA Europa League (UEL), usually known simply as the Europa League, is an annual association football, football club competition organised since 1971 by the UEFA, Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) for eligible European footb ...
knockout round play-offs A knockout (abbreviated to KO or K.O.) is a fight-ending, winning criterion in several full-contact combat sports, such as boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai, mixed martial arts, karate, some forms of taekwondo and other sports involving striking, a ...
for the second consecutive season. Signed to be a replacement for struggling
Ousmane Dembélé Masour Ousmane Dembélé (; born 15 May 1997) is a French professional footballer who plays as a striker or winger for club Paris Saint-Germain and the France national team. Considered one of the best players in the world, he is known for ...
, both competed for a starting spot with manager
Xavi Xavi () is a Catalan given name, usually used as a nickname for Xavier. Notable people with the name include: Football * Xavi Hernández (born 1980), Spanish football manager and former player * Xavi Andorrà (born 1985), Andorran footballe ...
insisting that he wanted to keep both players, hoping to breed competition between them for starting spots on a team that was short on wingers. Over the course of the season, Dembélé's resurgence in form limited his opportunities to impress at his preferred right-wing position. On 16 January 2023, Barcelona won the
2023 Supercopa de España final 3 (three) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 2 and preceding 4, and is the smallest odd prime number and the only prime preceding a square number. It has religious and cultural significance in many societies ...
, following a 3–1 victory over rivals
Real Madrid Real Madrid Club de Fútbol (), commonly referred to as Real Madrid, is a Spanish professional Football club (association football), football club based in Madrid. The club competes in La Liga, th ...
in ''
El Clásico El Clásico (in Spanish, also in lowercase letters; ) or El Clàssic (in Catalan, ), both meaning "The Classic", is the name given to any football match between rival clubs Barcelona and Real Madrid. Originally referring to competitions he ...
'', winning his first title with the club. On 16 February, Raphinha assisted and scored in a 2–2 draw against
Manchester United Manchester United Football Club, commonly referred to as Man United (often stylised as Man Utd) or simply United, is a professional association football, football club based in Old Trafford (area), Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, Engl ...
in a knockout round play-off in the
Europa League The UEFA Europa League (UEL), usually known simply as the Europa League, is an annual association football, football club competition organised since 1971 by the UEFA, Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) for eligible European footb ...
at the
Camp Nou Camp Nou (), meaning ''New Field'' and often referred to in English as the Nou Camp, is a stadium in Barcelona and the home of La Liga club FC Barcelona since its opening in 1957. It is currently undergoing renovation, and with a planned increa ...
. Barcelona was eliminated from the tournament after losing 2–1 at the away leg at
Old Trafford Old Trafford () is a football stadium in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, England, and is the home of Manchester United. With a capacity of 74,197, it is the largest club football stadium (and second-largest football stadium overall after W ...
. At the second part of the season, he was handed a chance to impress when Dembélé picked up a muscle injury, but was inconsistent over that period, leading Raphinha to be in and out of the starting XI. On 14 May, he assisted
Robert Lewandowski Robert Lewandowski (; born 21 August 1988) is a Polish professional Association football, footballer who plays as a Striker (association football), striker for club FC Barcelona, Barcelona. Widely regarded as one of the greatest strikers of a ...
's second goal, as Barcelona defeated
Espanyol Reial Club Deportiu Espanyol de Barcelona (; "Royal Spanish Sports Club of Barcelona"), commonly known as RCD Espanyol, is a Spanish professional sports club based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. The club competes in La Liga, the top tier of Spa ...
4–2 in the
Derbi Barceloní Derbi is a manufacturer of motorcycles, scooters, mopeds and recreational all-terrain vehicles produced by Nacional Motor S.A.U., currently integrated into the Italian (2009) Piaggio Group. History Derbi's origins began with a little bicycle wo ...
, confirming them as La Liga champions.


2023–24: Struggles and La Liga runner-up

After missing part of the new season, Raphinha struggled to meet the expectations of fans and Barcelona's management in La Liga, despite support from his manager Xavi. He eventually lost his spot in the starting XI to young prospect
Lamine Yamal Lamine Yamal Nasraoui Ebana (born 13 July 2007) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a winger for La Liga club Barcelona and the Spain national team. Known for his flair, chance creation, and long-distance curling goals, Yamal ...
, who had already scored during Raphinha's absence due to injury and at the end of the first part of the season, he had scored only three goals. Despite a disappointing overall season, Raphinha played a key role in Barcelona's Champions League campaign, being involved in two goals in their 3–1 win over
Napoli Naples ( ; ; ) is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 908,082 within the city's administrative limits as of 2025, while its province-level municipality is the thir ...
on 12 March, in the home leg, knocking them out with a 4–2 aggregate score. On 10 April 2024, he scored his first Champions League goal by netting a brace in a 3–2 away win against
Ligue 1 Ligue 1 (; ), officially known as Ligue 1 McDonald's France, McDonald's for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in France and the highest level of the French football league system. Administered by the Ligue de ...
champions
Paris Saint-Germain Paris Saint-Germain Football Club, commonly referred to as Paris Saint-Germain () or simply PSG, is a French professional Association football, football club based in Paris. They compete in Ligue 1, the French football league system, top d ...
at the
Parc des Princes The Parc des Princes (, ) is an all-seater stadium, all-seater football stadium in Paris, France. It is located in the south-west of the French capital, inside the 16th arrondissement of Paris, 16th arrondissement, near the Stade Jean-Bouin (P ...
in the quarter-final first leg, and awarded as the Player of the Match. In the return leg at home, despite scoring the opening goal, the Parisian team overturned the aggregate score with a 4–1 win, eliminating Barça.


2024–25: Breakthrough season and goalscoring achievements

Despite recording 10 goals and 11 assists in 37 appearances in his previous season, Raphinha's future at the Spanish club was uncertain and with Xavi leaving the managerial role, he was linked with a move away from the club, in order for Barcelona to raise funds amid their financial difficulties. He was the recipient of a contract offer worth €90 million from
Saudi Pro League The Saudi Pro League (SPL), also known as the Roshn Saudi League (RSL) for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Saudi Arabia and the highest level of the Saudi football league system. The SPL is regarded as th ...
side Al-Hilal, with Barcelona's sporting director Deco informing his agent to look for another team for him. However,
Hansi Flick Hans-Dieter "Hansi" Flick (; born 24 February 1965) is a German professional football manager and former player who is the manager of La Liga club Barcelona. Flick played for SV Sandhausen, Bayern Munich, and 1. FC Köln during his career as a fo ...
, who replaced Xavi as the new manager, decided to keep him. Highlighting his importance to the team, Flick named him as one of the team's captains for the season. Flick began his tenure with a different tactical approach than his predecessor, he positioned Raphinha centrally, behind Robert Lewandowski and flanked by wingers, which saw his form improve dramatically. On 31 August 2024, he scored his first hat-trick for Barcelona in a 7–0 thrashing at home against
Real Valladolid Real Valladolid Club de Fútbol, S.A.D., or simply Real Valladolid (), is a Spanish professional List of football clubs in Spain, football club based in Valladolid, Castile and León that will compete from the 2025–26 season in the . The club ...
in a La Liga match. Later that year, on 23 October, he scored a hat-trick in the Champions League in a 4–1 home win against Bayern Munich in the group stage and was named Player of the Match. A few days later, on 26 October, he netted his first goal in ''El Clásico'' and provided an assist in a 4–0 away win over Real Madrid. During the match at the Santiago Bernabéu, Raphinha and his Barcelona teammates Lamine Yamal and
Ansu Fati Anssumane Fati Vieira (born 31 October 2002) is a professional association football, footballer who plays as a Forward (association football), forward or Forward (association football), winger for club FC Barcelona, Barcelona. Born in Guinea- ...
were targeted with racial abuse by a group of home supporters. On 12 January 2025, Raphinha was named Player of the Match, after scoring a brace and providing an assist in a 5–2 victory over Real Madrid in the Supercopa de España final. On 21 January, he was named player of the match once again, after leading Barcelona to a comeback victory against Benfica in the Champions League. He contributed a brace, including a decisive goal in injury time, to secure a 5–4 away win. On 5 March, in the Champions League round of 16, Raphinha scored the only goal of an away win over Benfica, whilst being one man down and scored two goals and provided an assist on 11 March in the second leg of a 3–1 home win, securing a 4–1 aggregate victory and qualify to the
quarter-finals A single-elimination knockout, or sudden-death tournament is a type of elimination tournament where the loser of a match-up is immediately eliminated from the tournament. Each winner will play another in the next round, until the final match-up, w ...
of the tournament. On 9 April, he equaled
Lionel Messi Lionel Andrés "Leo" Messi (; born 24 June 1987) is an Argentine professional Association football, footballer who plays as a forward (association football), forward for and Captain (association football), captains both Major League Soccer ...
's record for goal involvements in a Champions League season of 19, set in the 2011–12 season, after scoring and assisting twice in a 4–0 win over
Borussia Dortmund Ballspielverein Borussia 09 e. V. Dortmund, often known simply as Borussia Dortmund () or by its initialism BVB (), or just Dortmund by International fans, is a German professional sports club based in Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia. It is ...
in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-finals. On 30 April, in the first leg of the
semi-finals A single-elimination knockout, or sudden-death tournament is a type of elimination tournament where the loser of a match-up is immediately eliminated from the tournament. Each winner will play another in the next round, until the final match-up, ...
, he surpassed Messi's record with 20 goal contributions, after assisting in the 3–3 draw against
Inter Milan Football Club Internazionale Milano, commonly referred to as Internazionale () or simply Inter, and colloquially known as Inter Milan in English-speaking countries, is an Italian professional Association football, football List of football ...
. In the second leg, on 6 May, despite scoring his side's third goal, after being two goals down, Inter Milan cameback and Barcelona lost the match 4–3, being eliminated in the semi-finals of the tournament. Raphinha finished his Champions League campaign as joint top scorer with 13 goals, alongside
Serhou Guirassy Serhou Yadaly Guirassy (born 12 March 1996) is a professional footballer who plays as a striker for club Borussia Dortmund. Born in France, he plays for the Guinea national team. Early life Guirassy was born in Arles, France, to Guinean paren ...
, and also led the tournament in assists with nine. On 11 May, he scored two goals against Real Madrid as Barcelona went on to win 4–3. On 22 May 2025, Raphinha extended his contract with Barcelona until 30 June 2028.


International career

Prior to
UEFA Euro 2020 The 2020 UEFA European Football Championship, commonly referred to as UEFA Euro 2020 or simply Euro 2020, was the 16th UEFA European Championship, the Anniversary#Latin-derived numerical names, quadrennial international men's association footb ...
, the
Italian Football Federation The Italian Football Federation (, ; FIGC ), known colloquially as (), is the governing body of football in Italy. It is based in Rome and Centro Tecnico Federale di Coverciano, the technical department is in Coverciano, Florence. It manages a ...
attempted to call up Raphinha for the Italian national team, for whom Raphinha was eligible due to his father's heritage. Raphinha has stated that he was close to representing Italy, but did not receive an
Italian passport An Italian passport () is issued upon request to an Italian nationality law, Italian citizen for the purpose of international travel. It is valid for 10, 5 or 3 years, depending on the applicant's age. Its Biometric passports, biometric version ...
in time to represent them at the tournament. In August 2021, Raphinha was selected to represent
Brazil Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...
for the team's
World Cup A world cup is a global sporting competition in which the participant entities – usually international teams or individuals representing their countries – compete for the title of world champion. The event most associated with the name is ...
qualifiers against
Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in western South America. It is the southernmost country in the world and the closest to Antarctica, stretching along a narrow strip of land between the Andes, Andes Mountains and the Paci ...
,
Argentina Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a country in the southern half of South America. It covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest country in South America after Brazil, the fourt ...
and
Peru Peru, officially the Republic of Peru, is a country in western South America. It is bordered in the north by Ecuador and Colombia, in the east by Brazil, in the southeast by Bolivia, in the south by Chile, and in the south and west by the Pac ...
. On 7 October, Raphinha made his full debut for the national side, coming on as a substitute at half time in a 3–1 comeback win against
Venezuela Venezuela, officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many Federal Dependencies of Venezuela, islands and islets in the Caribbean Sea. It com ...
. He assisted two goals and won a penalty in 45 minutes on the pitch, receiving praise from sports pundits and fans. On 15 October, he scored his first two international goals in a qualifying match against
Uruguay Uruguay, officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay, is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to its west and southwest and Brazil to its north and northeast, while bordering the Río de la Plata to the south and the A ...
. On 7 November 2022, Raphinha was named in the squad for the
2022 FIFA World Cup The 2022 FIFA World Cup was the 22nd FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial world championship for national football teams organized by FIFA. It took place in Qatar from 20 November to 18 December 2022, after the country was awarded the hosting ri ...
by manager Tite. Brazil reached the quarter-finals of the tournament, where they were eliminated by
Croatia Croatia, officially the Republic of Croatia, is a country in Central Europe, Central and Southeast Europe, on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. It borders Slovenia to the northwest, Hungary to the northeast, Serbia to the east, Bosnia and Herze ...
on 9 December, following a 4–2 penalty shoot-out loss after a 1–1 draw. On 10 May, Raphinha was called up for Brazil to participate in the
2024 Copa América The 2024 Copa América was the 48th edition of the Copa América, the quadrennial international men's association football, soccer championship organized by South America's football ruling body CONMEBOL. The tournament was held in the United Sta ...
. He scored his only goal of the tournament against
Colombia Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country primarily located in South America with Insular region of Colombia, insular regions in North America. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the north, Venezuel ...
in their third group phase game, in a 1–1 draw. Brazil were eliminated from the tournament following a 4–2 penalty shoot-out defeat after a goalless draw against Uruguay in the quarter-finals.


Style of play

Raphinha is a versatile winger known for his technical ability, agility, pace and defensive work rate. Primarily operating on the
right-wing Right-wing politics is the range of political ideologies that view certain social orders and hierarchies as inevitable, natural, normal, or desirable, typically supporting this position based on natural law, economics, authority, property ...
, he uses his left foot to cut inside, creating goal-scoring opportunities or delivering passes into dangerous areas. His dribbling, characterized by close control, rapid changes of direction, and a blend of speed and creativity, allows him to beat defenders in one-on-one situations. A proficient passer, Raphinha delivers accurate crosses and threads passes into the box, stretching opposition defenses while also operating effectively in tight spaces. Defensively, he plays an important role in counter-pressing, regaining possession by tracking back to support full-backs or disrupting opposition build-up play. At Barcelona under
Hansi Flick Hans-Dieter "Hansi" Flick (; born 24 February 1965) is a German professional football manager and former player who is the manager of La Liga club Barcelona. Flick played for SV Sandhausen, Bayern Munich, and 1. FC Köln during his career as a fo ...
, Raphinha's tactical role evolved from a traditional winger to a more centrally positioned in a
second striker In the sport of association football, a forward (attacker or striker) is an outfield position which primarily plays further up the pitch than midfielders and defenders. As with any attacking player, the role of the forward relies heavily on bein ...
role. This shift allowed him to exploit spaces between the opposition's defensive and midfield lines, making diagonal runs into the box or drifting inward while other forwards, such as Robert Lewandowski, provided width. By not being confined to the flank, Raphinha stretched the defensive structure, creating additional space and opportunities for himself and his teammates. His quick change of pace and intelligent movement enabled link-up play with players like
Dani Olmo Daniel Olmo Carvajal (born 7 May 1998) is a Spanish professional Association football, footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder or Winger (association football), left winger for La Liga club FC Barcelona, Barcelona and the Spain national ...
, while also supporting attacking moves from deeper positions.


Career statistics


Club


International

:''Brazil score listed first, score column indicates score after each Raphinha goal.''


Honours

Sporting CP *
Taça de Portugal The Taça de Portugal (; ) is an annual association football competition and the premier knockout tournament in Portuguese football. For sponsorship reasons, it has been known as Taça de Portugal Generali Tranquilidade since the 2024–25 seaso ...
: 2018–19 *
Taça da Liga The Taça da Liga (), known outside Portugal as Portuguese League Cup, is an annual club football competition organised by the Liga Portuguesa de Futebol Profissional (LPFP) for teams competing in the top two tiers of Portuguese football – the ...
: 2018–19 Barcelona *
La Liga The Campeonato Nacional de Liga de Primera División, commonly known as the Primera División or La Liga, and officially known as LaLiga EA Sports for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Spain and the highest ...
:
2022–23 The dash is a punctuation mark consisting of a long horizontal line. It is similar in appearance to the hyphen but is longer and sometimes higher from the baseline. The most common versions are the endash , generally longer than the hyphen ...
, 2024–25 *
Copa del Rey The , commonly known as , or (in English) the Spanish Cup or King's Cup, and formerly known as Copa del Presidente de la República (1932–1936) and Copa del Generalísimo (1939–1976), is an annual knockout football competition in Spanis ...
: 2024–25 *
Supercopa de España The Supercopa de España, also known as the Spanish Super Cup, is a super cup tournament in Football in Spain, Spanish football. Founded in 1982 Supercopa de España, 1982 as a two-team competition, the current version has been contested since 2 ...
:
2023 Catastrophic natural disasters in 2023 included the Lists of 21st-century earthquakes, 5th-deadliest earthquake of the 21st century 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquakes, striking Turkey and Syria, leaving up to 62,000 people dead; Cyclone Freddy ...
,
2025 So far, the year has seen the continuation of major armed conflicts, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Sudanese civil war (2023–present), Sudanese civil war, and the Gaza war. Internal crises in Bangladesh post-resignation v ...
Individual *
Vitória de Guimarães Vitoria or Vitória may refer to: People * Francisco de Vitoria (c. 1483–1546), a Spanish Renaissance theologian * Alberto Vitoria (1956–2010), Spanish footballer * Rui Vitória (born 1970), Portuguese retired footballer * Sofia Vitória (bor ...
Breakthrough Player of the Year: 2017 * Copa América Team of the Tournament:
2024 The year saw the list of ongoing armed conflicts, continuation of major armed conflicts, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Myanmar civil war (2021–present), Myanmar civil war, the Sudanese civil war (2023–present), Sudane ...
*
La Liga Player of the Month The Player of the Month is an association football award that recognises the best La Liga player each month of the season. Winners Multiple winners The following table lists the number of awards won by players who have won at least two Player ...
:
August 2024 The year saw the list of ongoing armed conflicts, continuation of major armed conflicts, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Myanmar civil war (2021–present), Myanmar civil war, the Sudanese civil war (2023–present), Sudane ...
*
IFFHS The International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS) is an organisation that chronicles the history and records of association football. It was founded in 1984 by Alfredo Pöge in Leipzig. The IFFHS was based in Abu Dhabi for so ...
Men's CONMEBOL Team: 2024 * La Liga Player of the Season: 2024–25 *
La Liga Team of the Season The La Liga Awards, previously known as the LFP awards, are presented annually by the Liga de Fútbol Profesional (LFP) to the best players and coach in La Liga, the first division of association football in Spain. Established in the 2008–09 La ...
: 2024–25 * UEFA Champions League top scorer: 2024–25 (shared) *
UEFA Champions League The UEFA Champions League (UCL) is an annual club association football competition organised by the UEFA, Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) that is contested by List of top-division football clubs in UEFA countries, top-divisio ...
Team of the Season: 2024–25 *''The Athletic'' European Men's Team of the Season: 2024–25 *''The Athletic'' European Men's Player of the Season: 2024–25 * ''The Athletic'' La Liga Team of the Season: 2024–25


References


External links


Raphinha
at the FC Barcelona website
Raphinha
at the La Liga website * * {{Authority control 1996 births Living people Footballers from Porto Alegre Brazilian men's footballers Men's association football wingers Avaí FC players Vitória S.C. B players Vitória S.C. players Stade Rennais FC players Sporting CP footballers Leeds United F.C. players FC Barcelona players Primeira Liga players Liga Portugal 2 players Ligue 1 players Premier League players La Liga players UEFA Champions League top scorers 2022 FIFA World Cup players 2024 Copa América players Brazil men's international footballers Brazilian expatriate men's footballers Expatriate men's footballers in England Expatriate men's footballers in France Expatriate men's footballers in Portugal Expatriate men's footballers in Spain Brazilian expatriate sportspeople in England Brazilian expatriate sportspeople in France Brazilian expatriate sportspeople in Portugal Brazilian expatriate sportspeople in Spain Brazilian people of Italian descent 21st-century Brazilian sportsmen