*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 23:51, 22 February 2025 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 25:50, 19 November 2024 (UTC)
Raphael Dias Belloli (born 14 December 1996), known as Raphinha, is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as a forward for La Liga club Barcelona and the Brazil national team. Considered one of the best players in the world, he is known for his technical ability, pace, and dribbling.[4][5]
Raphinha began his career with Brazilian club Avaí, before signing for the Portuguese Vitória de Guimarães in 2016, where he made his professional debut. In 2018, he joined fellow Primeira Liga club Sporting CP, winning the double of the Taça de Portugal and Taça da Liga in 2019. After having spells for Rennes and Leeds United, he signed for Spanish club Barcelona in 2022 for a transfer worth €58 million (£50 million).
After never being capped at youth level, he made his senior international debut in 2021 and was part of Brazil's squads at the 2022 FIFA World Cup and the 2024 Copa América.
Early life
Raphinha was born in Porto Alegre, Brazil where he grew up in Restinga, a favela far from the city centre.[6][7][8] His father is of Italian descent and his mother is mixed-race Brazilian.[9] His father was a jobbing musician.[10] 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.[6]
At the age of seven, he attended Ronaldinho's birthday party due to his father and uncle's relationship with the player.[6] They have met numerous times since and have developed a lasting friendship.[6]
Before starting his professional football career, Raphinha participated in the várzea tournaments until the age of 18,[11] 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.[6] 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 bibs.[6]
He has a long-standing friendship with Bruno Fernandes, starting before they became teammates at Sporting CP.[6] According to Raphinha, Fernandes has been a huge help to him and his footballing career.[6] Before joining Leeds United, Fernandes told Raphinha that his style would "fit the league" (in reference to the Premier League).[6]
Club career
Avaí
After unsuccessful trials with Internacional and Grêmio, Raphinha started his career playing youth football with Imbituba, where he was later scouted by Avaí.[10] At 18 years old, Raphinha started his career with the Avaí's under-20 team in the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A in 2014.[8][6] After being injured, he was unable to make the squad but continued to train on his own.[6] 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.[10]
Vitória de Guimarães
Raphinha (behind) playing for Vitória de Guimarães in 2017
On 2 February 2016, Raphinha signed for Portuguese side Vitória de Guimarães, having been scouted at the Copa São Paulo de Futebol Júnior by Deco, who signed him to his agency, D20 Sports, and arranged his transfer to Vitória.[10][12] He made his debut for the Vimaranenses on 13 March 2016 against Paços de Ferreira.[13] He scored his first goal for the club against Marítimo on 20 August 2016.[14] He made his first appearance in the 2017–18 UEFA Europa League on 14 September 2017 against Red Bull Salzburg.[14] He won the Vitória Guimarães Breakthrough Player of the Year in 2017.[15] He scored 18 goals during 43 games (in all competitions) during the 2017–18 Primeira Liga season for Vitória de Guimarães.[8]
Sporting CP
In May 2018, he transferred to Portuguese club Sporting CP until 2019.[16] He made his debut on 12 August against Moreirense. 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.[17] 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 2018–19Taça da Liga and Taça de Portugal, scoring a penalty in the penalty shootout victory against Porto.[18][14]
Rennes
He signed for French club Rennes in 2019, with a transfer fee around €21 million,[19] the club's record signing.[14] He scored and gained an assist in his final game for the club during the 2020–21 Ligue 1 fixture against Reims in a 2–2 draw on 4 October 2020.[20] 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 during the 2019–20 Ligue 1 season.[21]
Leeds United
On 5 October 2020, he joined Leeds United on a four-year contract for an undisclosed fee reported to be in the region of £17 million, or about €20 million.[22][23]
On 19 October 2020, he made his debut as a second-half substitute in a 1–0 loss to Wolverhampton Wanderers.[24] His full debut was at home to Arsenal on 22 November 2020.[25] On 28 November 2020, Raphinha scored his first Leeds goal in a 1–0 away win over Everton.[26] His winning goal secured Leeds' first ever Premier League win at Goodison Park and their first league win at Everton since 1990.[27] He finished the season with six goals, all from league fixtures.[citation needed]
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,[28] which was nominated as one of the Premier League's Goals of the Month for August.[29][30]
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 on the last day of the season, from the penalty spot after being fouled by the Brentford goalkeeper David Raya, confirming Leeds' Premier League status.[31]
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 and Tottenham Hotspur's interest. However, Raphinha's preferred a move to Barcelona, 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.[32][33]
Barcelona
2022–24: Adaptation to Spain and La Liga title
On 15 July 2022, Raphinha signed for La Liga club Barcelona on a five-year contract for a reported initial fee of £50m, potentially rising to £55million in add-ons.[34][35] 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.[36]
On 13 August, he made his debut for the club in 0–0 draw against Rayo Vallecano in the league.[37] On 3 September, he scored his first Barcelona goal in a 3–0 victory over Sevilla at the Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán Stadium.[38] On 13 September, he made his continental debut for the club starting in the 2–0 loss to Bayern Munich in the Champions League.[39] At the end of the group stage, Barcelona finished third, which put them in the Europa Leagueknockout round play-offs for the second consecutive season.[40] Signed to be a replacement for struggling Ousmane Dembélé, both competed for a starting spot with manager Xavi 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.[41] Over the course of the season, Dembélé's resurgence in form, limited his opportunities to impress at his preferred right-wing position.[41]
On 16 January 2023, Barcelona won the 2023 Supercopa de España final, following a 3–1 victory over rivals Real Madrid in El Clásico, winning his first title with the club.[42] On 16 February, Raphinha assisted and scored in a 2–2 draw against Manchester United in a knockout round play-off in the Europa League at the Camp Nou.[43] Barcelona was eliminated from the tournament after losing 2–1 at the away leg at Old Trafford.[44] 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.[41] On 14 May, he assisted Robert Lewandowski's second goal, as Barcelona defeated Espanyol 4–2 in the Derbi Barceloní, confirming them as La Liga champions.[45][46]
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, 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.[47][48][49][50]
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 on 12 March, in the home leg, knocking them out with a 4–2 aggregate score.[51] On 10 April 2024, he scored his first Champions League goal by netting a brace in a 3–2 away win against Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain at the Parc des Princes in the quarter-final first leg,[52] and awarded as the Player of the Match.[53] 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.[54]
2024–25
Despite recording 10 goals and 11 assists in 37 appearances in the his previous season, his 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.[55][56] He was the recipient of a contract offer worth €90 million from Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal, with Barcelona's sporting director Deco informing his agent to look for another team for him.[57][58][59] However, Hansi Flick, who replaced Xavi as the new manager, decided to keep him.[60][61][62] Highlighting his importance to the team, Flick named him as one of the team's captains for the season.[63]
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 win at home against Real Valladolid in a La Liga match.[64] 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.[65] 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.[66] During the match at the Santiago Bernabéu, Raphinha and his Barcelona teammates Lamine Yamal and Ansu Fati were targeted with racial abuse by a group of home supporters.[67] On 12 January 2025, he was named Player of the Match,[68] after scoring a brace and providing an assist in a 5–2 victory over Real Madrid in the Supercopa de España final.[69] On 21 January 2025, 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.[70]
On 7 October 2021, 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.[72] He assisted two goals and won a penalty in 45 minutes on the pitch, receiving praise from sports pundits and fans.[73] On 15 October, he scored his first two international goals in a qualifying match against Uruguay.[74]
On 7 November 2022, Raphinha was named in the squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup by manager Tite.[75] Brazil reached the quarter-finals of the tournament, where they were eliminated by Croatia on 9 December, following a 4–2 penalty shoot-out loss after a 1–1 draw.[76]
On 10 May, he was called up for Brazil to participate in the 2024 Copa América.[77] He scored his only goal of the tournament against Colombia in their third group phase game, in a 1–1 draw.[78] Brazil were eliminated from the tournament following a 4–2 penalty shoot-out defeat after a goalless draw against Uruguay in the quarter-finals.[79][80]
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, 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.[81][82][83][84][85]
At Barcelona under Hansi Flick, Raphinha's tactical role evolved from a traditional winger to a more centrally positioned in a second striker 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, while also supporting attacking moves from deeper positions.[86]
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