{ "id": "ep9cby1ptj", "slug": "rafinha-footballer-born-1993", "title": "Rafinha (footballer, born 1993)", "updated": "2026-10-25", "topic_path": [ { "id": "play", "label": "Sports, games, and recreation", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/play" }, { "id": "play.football", "label": "Association football", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/play.football" }, { "id": "play.football.people", "label": "Football people and teams", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/play.football.people" }, { "id": "play.football.people.biographies", "label": "People", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/play.football.people.biographies" }, { "id": "play.football.people.biographies.men.south_america", "label": "Men's footballers of South America", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/play.football.people.biographies.men.south_america" }, { "id": "play.football.people.biographies.men.south_america.brazilian-men-s-footballers", 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"https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.latam.t1946.play.football.people.biographies" } ] } ], "excerpt": "Rafinha (Rafael Alcântara do Nascimento), born 1993 in São Paulo, Brazilian-Spanish attacking midfielder, Barcelona La Masia graduate and 2015 treble winner, brother of Thiago, son of Mazinho; retired 22 December 2025 after Al-Arabi SC.", "snippet": "Rafinha (Rafael Alcântara do Nascimento), born 1993 in São Paulo, Brazilian-Spanish attacking midfielder, Barcelona La Masia graduate and 2015 treble winner, brother of Thiago, son of Mazinho; retired 22 December 2025 after Al-Arabi SC.", "node": "play.football.people.biographies.men.south_america.brazilian-men-s-footballers.contemporary-brazilian-footballers.brazilian-footballers-born-in-the-1990s", "markdown": "# Rafinha (footballer, born 1993)\n\n**Rafinha** is the professional name of Rafael Alcântara do Nascimento (born 1993 in São Paulo, Brazil), a Brazilian-Spanish attacking midfielder who came through [La Masia](https://www.edgepedia.org/la-masia) at [FC Barcelona](https://www.edgepedia.org/fc-barcelona), won the 2014/15 treble there, and retired from professional football on 22 December 2025 at the age of 32.[1](https://www.transfermarkt.us/rafinha/profil/spieler/129473/1000/) • [2](https://www.fcbarcelona.com/en/football/first-team/news/4423670/rafinha-announces-retirement/featured) • [3](https://cadenaser.com/nacional/2025/12/23/rafinha-alcantara-anuncia-su-retirada-entenderlo-fue-un-proceso-duro-cadena-ser/) He is the younger brother of the midfielder Thiago Alcántara and the son of the former Brazil international Mazinho.[1](https://www.transfermarkt.us/rafinha/profil/spieler/129473/1000/)\n\n| Key fact | Detail |\n|---|---|\n| Full name | Rafael Alcântara do Nascimento, born 1993 in São Paulo, Brazil[1](https://www.transfermarkt.us/rafinha/profil/spieler/129473/1000/) |\n| Position | Attacking midfielder, left-footed, 1.74 m; citizenship of Brazil and Spain[1](https://www.transfermarkt.us/rafinha/profil/spieler/129473/1000/) |\n| Family | Brother of Thiago Alcántara; son of Mazinho[1](https://www.transfermarkt.us/rafinha/profil/spieler/129473/1000/) |\n| Barcelona record | 12 goals in 89 appearances; 11 trophies including the 2014/15 Champions League and treble[2](https://www.fcbarcelona.com/en/football/first-team/news/4423670/rafinha-announces-retirement/featured) |\n| Career totals | 386 matches, 55 goals, 46 assists at retirement[4](https://as.com/futbol/internacional/rafinha-se-retira-f202512-n/) |\n| Brazil | 2 senior caps, 1 goal[1](https://www.transfermarkt.us/rafinha/profil/spieler/129473/1000/) |\n| Retirement | Announced 22 December 2025; last club Al-Arabi SC (Qatar)[3](https://cadenaser.com/nacional/2025/12/23/rafinha-alcantara-anuncia-su-retirada-entenderlo-fue-un-proceso-duro-cadena-ser/) |\n\n## Youth and Barcelona debut\n\nRafinha played youth football for Flamengo and for Ureca de Vigo, a club in the metropolitan area of Vigo, before joining FC Barcelona at the age of 13 and entering La Masia, the club's academy.[1](https://www.transfermarkt.us/rafinha/profil/spieler/129473/1000/) • [2](https://www.fcbarcelona.com/en/football/first-team/news/4423670/rafinha-announces-retirement/featured) Under coach [Pep Guardiola](https://www.edgepedia.org/pep-guardiola), he debuted for the first team on 9 November 2011, sporting the number 34 in an away [Copa del Rey](https://www.edgepedia.org/copa-del-rey) fixture at L'Hospitalet.[2](https://www.fcbarcelona.com/en/football/first-team/news/4423670/rafinha-announces-retirement/featured)\n\nAfter several seasons with Barça B and occasional first-team appearances, he spent the 2013/14 campaign on loan at Celta Vigo.[2](https://www.fcbarcelona.com/en/football/first-team/news/4423670/rafinha-announces-retirement/featured)\n\n## Barcelona years\n\nHis consolidation in the senior side came with [Luis Enrique](https://www.edgepedia.org/luis-enrique), who arrived in the summer of 2014 and had already coached him at Celta; the three seasons under the Asturian were the ones in which Rafinha featured most regularly for the first team.[2](https://www.fcbarcelona.com/en/football/first-team/news/4423670/rafinha-announces-retirement/featured) He was part of the Luis Enrique side that won the treble of LaLiga, the Copa del Rey, and the Champions League in the 2014/15 season.[4](https://as.com/futbol/internacional/rafinha-se-retira-f202512-n/)\n\nInjuries repeatedly interrupted this period. A serious injury suffered in Rome kept him sidelined for more than 200 days between late 2015 and early 2016.[2](https://www.fcbarcelona.com/en/football/first-team/news/4423670/rafinha-announces-retirement/featured) Between 2017 and 2019 he was out for almost 500 days in total after a rupture of the knee ligament and a meniscus injury.[4](https://as.com/futbol/internacional/rafinha-se-retira-f202512-n/)\n\nOnce back to full fitness, Rafinha moved to [Inter Milan](https://www.edgepedia.org/inter-milan) on loan in January 2018 for the remainder of that season, and then came back for 2018/19, appearing in nine games and netting a single goal until a league clash with [Atlético Madrid](https://www.edgepedia.org/atletico-madrid) left him with a fresh major injury.[2](https://www.fcbarcelona.com/en/football/first-team/news/4423670/rafinha-announces-retirement/featured) He spent 2019/20 on loan again at Celta, his second spell there after the 2013/14 loan.[2](https://www.fcbarcelona.com/en/football/first-team/news/4423670/rafinha-announces-retirement/featured) • [5](https://as.com/futbol/primera/los-alcantara-por-fin-juntos-con-el-celta-n/)\n\nIn the club's official tally, Rafinha made 89 appearances and scored 12 times for Barcelona, collecting 11 pieces of silverware there: a Champions League, three Copa del Rey wins, three LaLiga championships, a [UEFA Super Cup](https://www.edgepedia.org/uefa-super-cup), a Club World Cup, and two Spanish Super Cups.[2](https://www.fcbarcelona.com/en/football/first-team/news/4423670/rafinha-announces-retirement/featured) AS's retirement summary gives 90 matches, 12 goals, and 8 assists for the club.[4](https://as.com/futbol/internacional/rafinha-se-retira-f202512-n/)\n\n## Later clubs\n\nRafinha left Barcelona definitively in 2020 for Paris Saint-Germain, where he made 39 appearances in a season and a half before moving to [Real Sociedad](https://www.edgepedia.org/real-sociedad) in [San Sebastián](https://www.edgepedia.org/san-sebastian).[4](https://as.com/futbol/internacional/rafinha-se-retira-f202512-n/) At PSG he was part of the squad in the 2020/21 Champions League, coming off the bench to assist Neymar for the third goal in the away victory at [Old Trafford](https://www.edgepedia.org/old-trafford).[6](https://www.getfootballnewsfrance.com/assets/The-GFFN-100-2020-Mobile-Version.pdf) He then spent two years in the Qatari league with Al-Arabi SC, whom he joined in 2022, leaving in the summer of 2024 and remaining without a club thereafter.[4](https://as.com/futbol/internacional/rafinha-se-retira-f202512-n/) • [3](https://cadenaser.com/nacional/2025/12/23/rafinha-alcantara-anuncia-su-retirada-entenderlo-fue-un-proceso-duro-cadena-ser/)\n\n## International career\n\nRafinha made 2 appearances for the Brazil senior national team and scored 1 goal.[1](https://www.transfermarkt.us/rafinha/profil/spieler/129473/1000/) Cadena SER's retirement report also lists an Olympic gold medal among his honors.[3](https://cadenaser.com/nacional/2025/12/23/rafinha-alcantara-anuncia-su-retirada-entenderlo-fue-un-proceso-duro-cadena-ser/)\n\n## Retirement and after\n\nRafinha announced his retirement on 22 December 2025 through a video on his social media, saying that a knee injury suffered a little over a year earlier prevented him from competing at the highest level and that accepting he could not continue had been a hard process.[3](https://cadenaser.com/nacional/2025/12/23/rafinha-alcantara-anuncia-su-retirada-entenderlo-fue-un-proceso-duro-cadena-ser/) His retirement came a year and a half after his brother Thiago hung up his boots.[3](https://cadenaser.com/nacional/2025/12/23/rafinha-alcantara-anuncia-su-retirada-entenderlo-fue-un-proceso-duro-cadena-ser/) Across his whole career he retired with 386 matches, 55 goals, and 46 assists recorded.[4](https://as.com/futbol/internacional/rafinha-se-retira-f202512-n/)\n\nHe has since moved into media work, appearing as a commentator for DAZN, and said in a February 2026 interview that he had long seen himself more in business than inside football before the broadcasting offer.[7](https://as.com/futbol/primera/rafinha-al-barca-ya-le-toca-ganar-una-champions-f202602-n/)\n\n## References\n\n1. [Rafinha - Player profile, Transfermarkt](https://www.transfermarkt.us/rafinha/profil/spieler/129473/1000/)\n2. [Rafinha announces retirement, FC Barcelona (22 December 2025)](https://www.fcbarcelona.com/en/football/first-team/news/4423670/rafinha-announces-retirement/featured)\n3. [Rafinha Alcántara anuncia su retirada: \"Entenderlo fue un proceso duro\", Cadena SER (23 December 2025)](https://cadenaser.com/nacional/2025/12/23/rafinha-alcantara-anuncia-su-retirada-entenderlo-fue-un-proceso-duro-cadena-ser/)\n4. [Rafinha se retira a los 32 años, AS.com (22 December 2025)](https://as.com/futbol/internacional/rafinha-se-retira-f202512-n/)\n5. [Los Alcántara, por fin juntos en el Celta, AS.com](https://as.com/futbol/primera/los-alcantara-por-fin-juntos-con-el-celta-n/)\n6. [Rafinha Alcantara, The GFFN 100 (2020)](https://www.getfootballnewsfrance.com/assets/The-GFFN-100-2020-Mobile-Version.pdf)\n7. [Rafinha: \"Al Barça ya le toca ganar una Champions\", AS.com (15 February 2026)](https://as.com/futbol/primera/rafinha-al-barca-ya-le-toca-ganar-una-champions-f202602-n/)\n\n---\n*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Association football › Football people and teams › People › Men's footballers of South America › Brazilian men's footballers › Contemporary Brazilian footballers › Brazilian footballers born in the 1990s*\n\n*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*\n\n*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*\n\nLicense: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license\n", "same_as": [], "url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/rafinha-footballer-born-1993", "markdown_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/rafinha-footballer-born-1993.md", "license": { "name": "Edgepedia Community License 1.0", "url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license", "summary": "Free with credit, commercial use included. AI training is open to everyone. For other uses, organizations over USD 100M in revenue or 100M monthly users license separately.", "spdx": "LicenseRef-Edgepedia-Community-1.0" }, "credit": "\"Rafinha (footballer, born 1993)\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/rafinha-footballer-born-1993. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "credit_md": "\"[Rafinha (footballer, born 1993)](https://www.edgepedia.org/rafinha-footballer-born-1993)\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), [https://www.edgepedia.org/rafinha-footballer-born-1993](https://www.edgepedia.org/rafinha-footballer-born-1993). [Edgepedia Community License 1.0](https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license).", "credit_html": "\"Rafinha (footballer, born 1993)\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/rafinha-footballer-born-1993. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "speakable": "Rafinha, born 1993 in São Paulo, Brazilian-Spanish attacking midfielder, Barcelona La Masia graduate and 2015 treble winner, brother of Thiago, son of Mazinho; retired 22 December 2025 after Al-Arabi SC." }