One to watch: Coutinho now among Palmeiras veterans at the Copinha

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Nosso Palestra

·2. Januar 2026

One to watch: Coutinho now among Palmeiras veterans at the Copinha

The Palmeiras Under-20 team is entering the final stretch of its preparations for the 2026 São Paulo Junior Football Cup. The team’s debut in the competition will be against Monte Roraima-RR, on January 5th (Monday), at 7:30 PM (Brasília time), at Arena Crefisa Barueri. One of the pillars of the team in the quest for victory is midfielder Coutinho, 19 years old.

Midfielder Coutinho was one of the main names for the Palmeiras Under-20 squad throughout 2025, being an undisputed starter during the campaign that led to the Brazilian Championship title. The 19-year-old athlete, who has played for the Brazil Under-20 National Team and trained with the Verdão professional team, will be one of the most experienced players in the group, aiming to win his first Copinha – in the Palmeiras squad, the only remaining player with a title in the competition is goalkeeper Aranha, who was a starter in the 2023 trophy.

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In December, still at the beginning of Palmeiras’ preparations, Coutinho spoke to TV Palmeiras about the feeling of being one of the veterans in the squad.

“The season was very tough. We were Brazilian champions, we had a very difficult Paulista. We took a few days off, managed to clear our minds, and came back with everything. The team is working very well, everyone is focused, with the same goal. It’s a group with a lot of experience, with a winning mentality, and I’m sure everyone here will go in with the goal of being champions,” said Coutinho.

“I was part of several squads where I was one of the youngest, and now I’ll have the opportunity to pass on that experience to those who are coming up. This will be very important for my career. I arrived at Palmeiras in 2021, won titles in almost every category, so I have a lot of experience at the club,” he added.

At Palmeiras since 2021, Rafael Barbosa Coutinho is a left-footed and versatile midfielder. The 19-year-old played 37 matches this season, scoring four goals.

He was a starter for Brazil in all three matches of the Under-20 World Cup. Against Mexico, in the opening match of the tournament, the Palmeiras midfielder scored a goal in the 2-2 draw.

He has a contract with Palmeiras until February 2027 – renewed in September – and a release clause of 60 million euros. Verdão owns 80% of the player’s economic rights, who previously played for Grapiuna, from Bahia.

Palmeiras is seeking its third Copinha title. The first trophy came in 2022, when the Crias da Academia thrashed Santos 4-0 in the final. The following year, Alviverde became two-time champions by beating América-MG 2-1 in the final. In the next edition, Palestra will be part of Group 27, alongside Batalhão-TO, Monte Roraima-RR, and Remo, with Barueri as the host city.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.