Olympic champion Rafinha Alcântara announces retirement as a player at 32 | OneFootball

Rafinha Alcântara announced this Monday the end of his career as a player, at the age of 32. Revealed by Barcelona and having played for some of the main clubs in Europe, the midfielder communicated the decision through a post on social media.

Without playing since he left Al-Arabi, from Qatar, in mid-2024, the Brazilian explained that physical problems were decisive for the choice.

“After some time away from the fields, following a long recovery, I want to share an important decision for me: the time has come to retire from football. Just over a year ago, I suffered a serious knee injury that unfortunately prevents me from competing at the highest level. Accepting this was not easy. Football has been my life for as long as I can remember, and understanding that I could no longer dedicate myself to it as I always did was a difficult process,” stated Rafinha Alcântara.

The younger brother of Thiago Alcântara, who retired in July 2024, Rafinha follows a family history strongly linked to football. Both are sons of Mazinho, world champion with the Brazilian National Team in 1994.

  See this photo on Instagram   A post shared by Rafinha Alcantara (@rafalcantara)

Training at Barcelona and European career

Born in São Paulo, Rafinha was trained in Barcelona's youth academy. At the Catalan club, he experienced the most victorious period of his career, being part of the squad led by Luis Enrique that won the historic treble in the 2014/15 season (Spanish Championship, Copa del Rey, and Champions League). During his time with the team, he played 90 official matches and won 13 titles.

Besides Barcelona, Rafinha also played for Paris Saint-Germain, where he won the French Championship and the French Super Cup. The midfielder also played for teams like Inter Milan, Celta de Vigo, and Real Sociedad.

Stint with the Brazilian National Team

Photo: Mowa Press

Wearing the Brazilian National Team jersey, he won the unprecedented gold medal at the Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games in 2016. The athlete was among those who overcame Germany in the final decided by penalties at Maracanã.

Career marked by injuries

Although recognized for his technical talent and versatility in midfield, Rafinha's trajectory was deeply affected by physical problems. Between 2017 and 2019, he was away from the field for almost 500 days due to an anterior cruciate ligament rupture and a severe meniscus injury.

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