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‘Something I’ve been preparing for since childhood’ – Barcelona’s Raphinha was raised on Ronaldinho, determined to deliver World Cup for Brazil
Raphinha recalls Ronaldinho’s going-away party pretty well. His Dad was a musician in a samba band, and they were hired to play for the occasion. It was 2003, and Raphinha, then seven years old, tagged along.
“It was essentially a farewell party for his friends and family,” Raphinha told GOAL with a smile – a grin Ronaldinho himself would be proud of.
That function has now become something of Brazilian footballing folklore, one of their youngest stars mixing it in with one of the greatest. There are fragments of the whole story floating about: one of them being that Ronaldinho carried him around. Some of it has, no doubt, been embellished over the years.
But Raphinha was there all the same. And it was the start of a lifelong connection between the two. Ronaldinho hails from the same community as Raphinha – not so much family as connected by homeland. They have since become friends. Maybe that’s a coincidence. But, in some way, it all began there.
At the time, Ronaldinho was off to Europe to start his Barcelona tenure. Now, over 20 years later, Raphinha is well-established in his own Blaugrana stint, and familiar with the life Ronaldinho lived. The winger is irrefutably among the best in the world, and quite certainly one of the leaders of the Brazilian National Team. Back then, life was all smiles and being a little bit starstruck. Now, it’s about pressure, expectation, and, ultimately, rising to it.
“I’ve always wanted to play at the highest possible level,” he told GOAL. “That level – whether at the club stage or elsewhere – demands a tremendous amount from a person. It’s something I’ve been preparing for since childhood.”
A lost generation for Brazil
And, perhaps quite symbolically, he was there with the best. Like many of his generation, he idolized Ronaldinho. He was six-years-old when Brazil won the 2002 World Cup – and carries the weight of that trophy on his shoulders.
But Brazilian football finds itself at an odd juncture. Raphinha is part of a generation that is heavy on attacking talent, yet constantly underperforming in big tournaments. They won the Copa America in 2019, but have otherwise been starved of silverware.
They haven’t played in a World Cup semifinal since the infamous thrashing at the hands of Germany in 2014. Neymar, once the great hope, has struggled with injury and underperformance. They have lost penalty shootouts. This nation, the one with the most World Cup wins in footballing history, is going through a dry spell.
Raphinha is rehabbing a hamstring injury, which will keep him out until May. When he’s fit, he is among those expected to snap the Selecao’s cold streak.
“I believe that football relies heavily on results,” he said. “The moment a team fails to achieve the results its fans expect, it is only natural for people to start thinking that it is no longer the same team – that it is not the same national squad as before.”
‘I felt very welcomed by Flick’
Back in 2024, Raphinha’s career was at a real crossroads.
Despite winning La Liga in 2023, Barcelona were still in deep financial trouble. Mismanagement by former President Josep Bartomeu – and subsequent speculation by current President Joan Laporta – had left the Blaugrana needing to sell off assets in order to comply with Spain’s strict financial rules.
Raphinha, who hadn’t reached up to his standard yet with the club, was reportedly on the chopping block. By the time manager Hansi Flick took over at the start of the 2024-25 campaign, Raphinha had made up his mind: he was going to leave the club. Arsenal seemed a good destination. Saudi Pro League sides were also linked.
Flick wouldn’t let him go.
“I was leaving Barcelona – I was looking for a new place to go – and he was the one who put his trust in me,” Raphinha said.
Xavi saw Raphinha as a jack-of-all-trades attacking player who could, in effect, serve as a functional backup. Flick had a different vision. With Lamine Yamal breaking through on the right wing – Raphinha’s preferred spot – the Brazilian could play either as a No.10 or left winger.
And it worked.
“I believe the most important thing is for the coach to demonstrate the confidence he has in his players. I felt very welcomed by him; he was the person who transformed my career,” he said.
Deserving of the Ballon d’Or
The new position unlocked a different sort of quality from the Brazilian. To be sure, he had always been rather versatile – even slotting in as a wing back under Jesse Marsch during his Leeds tenure.
But his work rate for Barcelona covered for the aging legs of Robert Lewandowski, and allowed Yamal to stay higher up the pitch on the right. In effect, Raphinha was playing in the wrong position and doing the legwork of three players.
That didn’t really matter, though. He has always been that kind of footballer. Watch Raphinha, and your eyes float around the screen. This is a player who is never static, always running with the ball and desperate to win it back when dispossessed.
It has been a Day 1 quality, he admitted, “I was always a very active player on the field, both in defence and in attack. So, it is something very personal,” Raphinha said.
And a bit more responsibility – as well as perhaps a clearer remit rather than the plug-and-play role he was handed under Xavi – helped Raphinha develop into a world-class footballer.
By the end of the 2024-25 season, he had notched 59 goal involvements in all competitions. Barcelona won La Liga, Copa Del Rey, and came within seconds of reaching a Champions League final. Those numbers were only good enough for fifth in Ballon d’Or voting. Yamal finished second. Ousmane Dembele won it.
Raphinha claimed shortly after that the award should have been his.
“In my opinion, if it were based on the season as a whole, I would deserve it. I would place Lamine [in second] and Pedri [in third] in the final ranking, with Dembele in fourth,” he said.
This is a new version of life. Raphinha was the work-rate machine. Now, he’s a bit more expressive and a global star. The kid who was at Ronaldinho’s party is now doing ads for one of the biggest beer brands in the world.
“Well, ultimately, it was a proposal that came my way thanks to the campaign. I think it’s a great way to get together with new friends and family to watch a soccer match at home. There’s nothing better than the company of Modelo: a spectacular beer,” he said.
