Barcelona treble winner announces retirement at age of 32 in emotional video

Rafinha’s story was always entwined with pedigree. He is the son of World Cup winner Mazinho and the younger brother of Thiago Alcantara, whose career reached the very summit of European football. From the outset, comparisons were inevitable, and the expectation that Rafinha might follow a similar path rarely eased. The left-footed midfielder possessed the intelligence and touch required to thrive at the highest level. Yet his efforts to establish sustained momentum were repeatedly interrupted by injuries that denied him continuity at crucial stages of his development. 

Rafinha made his senior debut for Barcelona in November 2011, a milestone that hinted at a long future at the Camp Nou. However, in reality, his nine-year association with the club was fractured by extended absences and frustrating setbacks. By the time he left permanently to join Paris Saint-Germain in October 2020, he had made just 90 senior appearances for the Blaugrana.

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In a calm and reflective message, Rafinha explained that his body would no longer allow him to compete at the elite level. He last turned out for Qatari outfit Al Arabi. Now, after spending more than a year on the sidelines recovering from yet another serious knee injury, the decision, he said, had become unavoidable.

“After some time away from the pitch and following a long recovery, the time has come to make something important public. I have made the decision to retire,” he said in a video posted on Instagram this week.

“A little over a year ago, I suffered a knee injury which, unfortunately, prevents me from returning to compete at the highest level. It was hard to accept that I couldn’t continue. Thank you to my family for always being there, to everyone for the love and support. Thank you, football, for making me who I am. Goodbye.”

Although more than six years have passed since Rafinha last played for Barcelona, the club marked his retirement with a public tribute. In a message on X, the Catalan side thanked him for representing the club “with pride and commitment” and wished him well in the next chapter of his life. The accompanying image showed Rafinha holding the La Liga trophy from the 2014–15 campaign, the season that defined his peak. He played 36 matches across all competitions that year as Enrique’s Barcelona swept aside their rivals to claim a historic treble.

He was particularly trusted by Luis Enrique, who worked with Rafinha at Barcelona B and later relied on him during a loan spell at Celta Vigo. Under Luis Enrique, Rafinha enjoyed his most productive spell. That momentum was abruptly halted in September 2015 when Rafinha suffered the first of three major knee injuries during his time in Catalonia. The damage sidelined him for more than six months and marked the beginning of a cycle that proved impossible to escape. He would return in time to feature on one of the most iconic nights in Barcelona’s European history, starting the extraordinary 6–1 comeback against PSG in the 2017 Champions League last-16 tie. Yet even that high point was followed by further physical setbacks. A serious meniscus issue soon emerged, before a second cruciate ligament tear in November 2018 effectively ended his Barcelona career.

Rafinha’s later years were spent searching for stability. Loan spells at Inter Milan and Celta Vigo offered fleeting reminders of his natural quality, but his body continued to betray him. A permanent move to PSG in 2020 promised a fresh start, though injuries followed him to France and later to Qatari side Al Arabi.