Biography
Who is Rafinha?
Early life and family background
Rafael Alcântara do Nascimento was born on February 12, 1993, in São Paulo, Brazil. He comes from a family with a deep connection to professional sports. His father is Mazinho, a former footballer who won the 1994 FIFA World Cup with Brazil. His mother, Valéria, was a professional volleyball player.
Rafinha has an older brother named Thiago Alcântara. Like his sibling, Thiago also developed his skills through the youth system at Barcelona and later played for the club's first team. Thiago went on to represent the Spanish national side. Growing up in this athletic environment clearly influenced the career paths of both brothers.
Professional career at Barcelona
Rafinha joined the youth ranks of Barcelona at age 13. He made his professional debut with the B team on January 8, 2011, during a Segunda División match against Girona. He scored his first goal for the reserves a week later against Salamanca. Later that year, he made his first appearance for the senior squad in a Copa del Rey victory against Hospitalet.
In 2013, the club loaned him to Celta de Vigo, where he gained significant experience in La Liga. He returned to Barcelona for the 2014 season. During his time there, he helped the team win the treble. He scored a key goal in the 2015 UEFA Super Cup against Sevilla. His time at the club was occasionally interrupted by injuries, including an anterior cruciate ligament tear in 2015 and a meniscus issue in 2017.
Later club career and loan spells
In January 2018, Inter Milan secured Rafinha on a loan deal with an option to buy. He made his debut shortly after arriving and scored his first goal for the Italian club against Udinese in May. Following his time in Italy, he rejoined Celta de Vigo on a season-long loan in September 2019.
In October 2020, he signed a three-year contract with Paris Saint-Germain. He made his debut in Ligue 1 against Nîmes, providing an assist for Kylian Mbappé. By December 2021, he moved to Real Sociedad on another loan spell. In September 2022, he transferred to Al-Arabi in the Qatar Stars League on a two-year deal.
International football experience
Rafinha represented Spain at the youth level, earning 14 caps across three different age-group teams. In early 2012, he scored for the under-19 side in a match against France. Despite this early experience, he later chose to play for Brazil instead.
He represented the Brazilian under-20 team at the 2013 South American Youth Championship held in Argentina. In September 2015, he earned his first senior call-up for Brazil. He played in a friendly against Costa Rica and scored his first senior international goal just days later during a match against the United States.
Birthday and age
Rafinha was born on February 12, 1993, which makes Rafinha 33 years old today. That birthday falls under the Aquarius sign. Rafinha shares the date with 35 other famous people.
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