Raphinha

Avaí

After unsuccessful trials with Internacional and Grêmio, Raphinha started his career playing youth football with Imbituba, where he was later scouted by Avaí. At 18 years old, Raphinha started his career with Avaí's youth squad.

Vitória de Guimarães

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. He made his debut for the Vimaranenses on 13 March 2016 against Paços de Ferreira. 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 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 season for Vitória de Guimarães.

Sporting CP

In May 2018, Raphinha transferred to Portuguese club Sporting CP until 2019. 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. 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 and Taça de Portugal, scoring a penalty in the penalty shootout…

Prior to UEFA Euro 2020, the Italian Football Federation 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 in time to represent them at the tournament. In August 2021, Raphinha was selected to represent Brazil for the team's World Cup qualifiers against Chile, Argentina and Peru. 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. 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. On 7 November 2022, Raphinha was named in the squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup by manager Tite. 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. On 10 May, Raphinha was called up for Brazil to participate in the 2024 Copa América. He scored his only goal of the tournament against Colombia 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. In May 2026, Raphinha was selected for Brazil's squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

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. At Barcelona under Hansi Flick, Raphinha's tactical role evolved from a traditional winger to a more centrally positioned role as a second striker. 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.

Raphinha was born in Porto Alegre, Brazil where he grew up in Restinga, a favela far from the city centre. His father is of Italian descent and his mother is mixed-race Brazilian. 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'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.