1. Early life and youth career
Born in São Paulo, Brazil, Rafinha joined the youth ranks of Barcelona at the age of 13 in 2006. He steadily progressed through the club's academy, eventually being called up to the B team in 2011.
On January 8, 2011, he made his professional debut for Barcelona B in a Segunda División match against Girona FC, coming on as a substitute for Jonathan dos Santos in the 55th minute of a 2-1 home loss. Just a week later, still as a substitute in the same competition, he scored his first professional goal and also provided an assist in a 3-2 victory over UD Salamanca.
2. Club career
Rafinha's professional club career spanned several prominent European teams, including his formative years at Barcelona, loan spells with Celta, Inter Milan, and Real Sociedad, and a permanent transfer to Paris Saint-Germain, before moving to Al-Arabi.
2.1. Barcelona
Rafinha made his senior debut for Barcelona on November 9, 2011, substituting Cesc Fàbregas for the final 15 minutes of a 1-0 away victory against CE L'Hospitalet in the Copa del Rey. He concluded the 2011-12 league season with 39 appearances (35 starts) and eight goals for the Barcelona B team, including two in a 4-0 win over FC Cartagena in September 2011.
On June 27, 2013, Rafinha extended his contract with Barcelona until 2016. Just a few weeks later, he was loaned to fellow La Liga club Celta, where his former Barcelona B coach, Luis Enrique, had been appointed manager. He made his Spanish top flight debut on August 19, contributing to Celta's 2-2 home draw against RCD Espanyol. His first league goal followed 12 days later in another draw at the Balaídos stadium (1-1 against Granada CF). On November 23, 2013, he scored a brace against Real Sociedad, though Celta ultimately lost 4-3. Following his impressive performances, he was voted the league's Breakthrough Player of the Season.
Upon Luis Enrique's return to Barcelona as head coach, Rafinha also returned to the club for the 2014-15 season. He made his league debut for the senior Barcelona squad on August 24, 2014, starting in a 3-0 win against Elche CF at the Camp Nou. On November 25, in a Champions League group stage victory against APOEL FC, he assisted Lionel Messi's goal, which made Messi the outright top scorer in UEFA Champions League history. However, Rafinha was later sent off after receiving two yellow cards.
His first official goal for Barcelona came on December 3, 2014, in a 4-0 away win against SD Huesca in the first leg of the Spanish Cup's last 32 (which Barcelona won 12-1 on aggregate). On February 1, 2015, he scored his first domestic league goal for the team in a 3-2 home victory over Villarreal CF. Barcelona went on to win the treble that season, securing the La Liga, Copa del Rey, and UEFA Champions League titles, with Rafinha being an unused substitute in the domestic and European finals.
In the 2015 UEFA Super Cup against Sevilla FC in Tbilisi, Rafinha started on the left side of Barcelona's attack due to compatriot Neymar's illness. He scored Barcelona's third goal in a thrilling 5-4 victory. However, on September 16, 2015, during a Champions League group phase match against A.S. Roma, he suffered a torn right anterior cruciate ligament after a challenge from Radja Nainggolan. The injury required surgery, and he was sidelined for approximately six months.
Rafinha returned to action and scored six times in just 18 appearances during the 2016-17 campaign. However, in April 2017, following a match against Granada, he had to undergo surgery for an internal meniscus ailment, which kept him out until the end of the year. He received medical clearance to play again on December 18, 2017.
On November 24, 2018, Rafinha ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament of his left knee during a 1-1 draw against Atlético Madrid, once again leading to several months on the sidelines. On September 2, 2019, after extending his contract with Barcelona until 2021, he rejoined Celta on a season-long loan for the 2019-20 season.
2.2. Inter Milan
On January 22, 2018, Inter Milan announced the acquisition of Rafinha on a loan deal that included an option to buy him for 35.00 M EUR (plus 3.00 M EUR in bonuses). He made his debut for the club six days later, entering as a late substitute in a 1-1 draw against S.P.A.L.. He scored his first goal for Inter on May 6, in a 4-0 away victory over Udinese Calcio. Although he expressed a desire to stay with Inter permanently, the club did not exercise the buy option due to the high transfer fee.
2.3. Paris Saint-Germain
Rafinha signed a three-year deal with Paris Saint-Germain on October 5, 2020. He made his Ligue 1 debut eleven days later in a 4-0 win away at Nîmes Olympique, where he assisted the opening goal scored by Kylian Mbappé. In his first year, he made 23 appearances, but his playing time was significantly reduced during the 2021-22 season due to strong competition in midfield, limiting him to only 5 league appearances.
2.4. Real Sociedad
On December 27, 2021, Rafinha joined Real Sociedad on loan for the remainder of the 2021-22 season. He scored his only goal for the club on February 13, 2022, sealing a 2-0 home victory over Granada.
2.5. Al-Arabi
On September 3, 2022, Rafinha made a permanent move to Al-Arabi in the Qatar Stars League, signing a two-year contract.
3. International career
Rafinha has a dual international career, representing both Spain and Brazil at various youth levels before committing to the Brazilian senior national team.
3.1. Youth national teams
Rafinha initially played for Spain at the youth level, earning 14 caps across their under-16, under-17, and under-19 teams. On February 29, 2012, he scored for the under-19s in the opening minute of their 2-1 friendly victory over France in Meaux.
Later in 2012, Rafinha decided to switch his international allegiance to Brazil. He went on to represent the under-20 side at the 2013 South American Youth Championship in Argentina and also participated in the 2013 Toulon Tournament. He was part of the Brazil U23 squad.
3.2. Senior national team
In May 2015, Rafinha was named by coach Dunga as one of seven stand-by players for the senior team at the 2015 Copa América.
He received his first full call-up to the senior Brazil squad in September 2015 for friendly matches against Costa Rica and the United States. On September 5, he made his debut against Costa Rica at New Jersey's Red Bull Arena, coming on as a substitute in the 81st minute. Four days later, just a minute after entering the field against the United States, he scored his first international goal and then assisted clubmate Neymar in a 4-1 victory.
3.3. Olympic participation
Rafinha was a key member of the Brazil U23 squad that competed at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. He made 5 appearances during the tournament, contributing to Brazil's historic gold medal victory, their first in Olympic football.
4. Personal life
Rafinha comes from a distinguished sporting family. His father, Mazinho, was a professional footballer and midfielder who famously won the 1994 FIFA World Cup with Brazil. His mother, Valéria, was a volleyball player. His older brother, Thiago Alcântara, is also a professional footballer who progressed through Barcelona's youth ranks and has gone on to represent the Spain national side.
Rodrigo, another professional footballer who played youth football with Real Madrid and later for Benfica and Valencia, is a lifelong friend of Rafinha's. They have occasionally been erroneously referred to as cousins.
5. Career statistics
The following table details Rafinha's appearances and goals by club, season, and competition as of April 25, 2023. The 'Other' column for Al-Arabi includes three appearances in the FIFA Referees Cup, four in the Qatari Stars Cup, and one in the Qatar Cup.
5.1. Club
| Club | Season | League | National cup | Continental | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Barcelona B | 2010-11 | Segunda División | 9 | 1 | - | - | - | 9 | 1 | |||
| 2011-12 | 39 | 8 | - | - | - | 39 | 8 | |||||
| 2012-13 | 36 | 10 | - | - | - | 36 | 10 | |||||
| Total | 84 | 19 | - | - | - | 84 | 19 | |||||
| Barcelona | 2011-12 | La Liga | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 2012-13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 2014-15 | 24 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 6 | 0 | - | 36 | 2 | |||
| 2015-16 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 11 | 2 | ||
| 2016-17 | 18 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 7 | ||
| 2017-18 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 2018-19 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 1 | ||
| 2019-20 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | ||
| Total | 56 | 8 | 13 | 2 | 18 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 90 | 12 | ||
| Celta (loan) | 2013-14 | La Liga | 32 | 4 | 1 | 0 | - | - | 33 | 4 | ||
| Inter Milan (loan) | 2017-18 | Serie A | 17 | 2 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 17 | 2 | ||
| Celta (loan) | 2019-20 | La Liga | 29 | 4 | 1 | 0 | - | - | 30 | 4 | ||
| Paris Saint-Germain | 2020-21 | Ligue 1 | 23 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 34 | 0 |
| 2021-22 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | ||
| Total | 28 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 39 | 0 | ||
| Real Sociedad (loan) | 2021-22 | La Liga | 17 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | - | 21 | 1 | |
| Al-Arabi | 2022-23 | Qatar Stars League | 10 | 0 | 3 | 2 | - | 8 | 1 | 21 | 3 | |
| Career total | 272 | 38 | 23 | 4 | 28 | 1 | 11 | 2 | 335 | 45 | ||
5.2. International
The following tables list Rafinha's appearances and goals for the Brazil national team.
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brazil | 2015 | 2 | 1 |
| Total | 2 | 1 | |
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brazil | 2016 | 5 | 0 |
| Total | 5 | 0 | |
The following table lists Rafinha's international goals, with Brazil's goal tally listed first.
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 8, 2015 | Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, United States | United States | 3-0 | 4-1 | Friendly |
6. Honours
Rafinha has achieved numerous collective and individual honours throughout his career at both club and international levels.
6.1. Club
Barcelona
- La Liga: 2014-15, 2015-16, 2018-19
- Copa del Rey: 2011-12, 2014-15, 2015-16, 2016-17, 2017-18
- Supercopa de España: 2016, 2019
- UEFA Champions League: 2014-15
- UEFA Super Cup: 2015
- FIFA Club World Cup: 2015
Paris Saint-Germain
- Ligue 1: 2021-22
- Coupe de France: 2020-21
Al-Arabi
- Emir of Qatar Cup: 2023
6.2. International
Brazil U20
- Toulon Tournament: 2013
Brazil U23
- Summer Olympic Games: 2016 (Gold Medal)
6.3. Individual
- La Liga Breakthrough Player: 2013-14
- La Liga Player of the Month: February 2014