# Rafinha (footballer, born 1993)
**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/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full name | Rafael Alcântara do Nascimento, born 1993 in São Paulo, Brazil[1](https://www.transfermarkt.us/rafinha/profil/spieler/129473/1000/) |
| Position | Attacking midfielder, left-footed, 1.74 m; citizenship of Brazil and Spain[1](https://www.transfermarkt.us/rafinha/profil/spieler/129473/1000/) |
| Family | Brother of Thiago Alcántara; son of Mazinho[1](https://www.transfermarkt.us/rafinha/profil/spieler/129473/1000/) |
| 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) |
| Career totals | 386 matches, 55 goals, 46 assists at retirement[4](https://as.com/futbol/internacional/rafinha-se-retira-f202512-n/) |
| Brazil | 2 senior caps, 1 goal[1](https://www.transfermarkt.us/rafinha/profil/spieler/129473/1000/) |
| 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/) |
## Youth and Barcelona debut
Rafinha 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)
After 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)
## Barcelona years
His 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/)
Injuries 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/)
Once 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/)
In 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/)
## Later clubs
Rafinha 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/)
## International career
Rafinha 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/)
## Retirement and after
Rafinha 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/)
He 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/)
## References
1. [Rafinha - Player profile, Transfermarkt](https://www.transfermarkt.us/rafinha/profil/spieler/129473/1000/)
2. [Rafinha announces retirement, FC Barcelona (22 December 2025)](https://www.fcbarcelona.com/en/football/first-team/news/4423670/rafinha-announces-retirement/featured)
3. [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/)
4. [Rafinha se retira a los 32 años, AS.com (22 December 2025)](https://as.com/futbol/internacional/rafinha-se-retira-f202512-n/)
5. [Los Alcántara, por fin juntos en el Celta, AS.com](https://as.com/futbol/primera/los-alcantara-por-fin-juntos-con-el-celta-n/)
6. [Rafinha Alcantara, The GFFN 100 (2020)](https://www.getfootballnewsfrance.com/assets/The-GFFN-100-2020-Mobile-Version.pdf)
7. [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/)
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*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*
*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*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license