'Something I’ve been preparing for since childhood' - Barcelona's Raphinha was raised on Ronaldinho, determined to deliver World Cup 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."

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.

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.

Now, six months later, does he still think about individual accolades or fleshing out a persona? Not so much. Football has always really been the focus. But now, there’s a World Cup problem to face. And all of that stuff becomes irrelevant if the Selecao deliver the kind of success they are expected to.

“Playing at a high level, for the best clubs, and representing your country is what everyone wants. It is what we strive for,” he said.

It will, no doubt, be a tricky summer. There are questions about the form and fitness of Neymar, who, at 34, is far from a guarantee to play this summer. New manager Carlo Ancelotti - effectively brought in to win the tournament - has not indicated whether Brazil’s Messianic superstar will be a part of the squad at all. Whether Neymar is there or not, Raphinha will have to deliver - especially after Real Madrid star Rodrygo suffered a torn ACL earlier this year.

Many greats of the team have lamented the Brazil that has shown up of late. Ronaldinho himself claimed that he wouldn’t watch the team at the Copa America in 2024. And it is certainly true that this iteration of the Selecao are not the free-flowing samba side of old. On the one hand, that makes sense. The 2002 team that Raphinha idolized was blessed with greats: Ronaldinho, Ronaldo Nazario, Rivaldo, Cafu, Roberto Carlos - to name a few. No team can really match that.

Yet realism has never been a part of Brazil’s DNA. With Vinicius Jr and Raphinha leading the attack - perhaps with Neymar tucked in behind - there is plenty of scope for flair here. But a slew of unsuccessful managers, and Ancelotti himself, have made this a grittier side that prioritizes work rate and scrappiness over expression in the final third. Raphinha understands there may be some skeptics.

“That is natural. But I do believe that we are doing a very good job, and now we are better prepared for the upcoming matches we have to play,” he said.

There is an element of acceptance, too. No one in Brazil will ever be fully happy. This is not just about winning, but winning the right way. This is about personality, verve, the kind of football that the rest of the world envies. Raphinha is acutely aware of that fact.

"The pressure is quite high. And, of course, representing your country is special. It is the national team that has won the most titles globally,” he said. “Representing an entire nation is something that demands a tremendous amount from its players is an honor.”

Yet there is a sense that Raphinha, above all, has always been on this path. It's not just the Ronaldinho meeting he still recalls. This sort of journey suits him. He was always the scrappy renegade who never stopped moving. Adversity at Barcelona brought out a stronger sort of footballer. Past disappointments with the national team have only strengthened him - and crystallized his resolve.

He has done it for his club. His country just feels like a natural progression.

“Playing for both the Brazilian national team and Barcelona is something that demands a great deal of you,” Raphinha explained.

As for actually winning the thing? Well, there are no guarantees. They will certainly be expected to top a group consisting of Scotland, Haiti, and Morocco. Knockouts are wildly unpredictable. They made light work of South Korea in the round of 16 in 2022, before losing to Croatia in penalties in the last eight. Raphinha was a regular starter in that tournament, but was subbed after an hour in the quarterfinal. He watched from the bench as his side was eliminated.

Yet he also knows what greatness feels like. He has seen the joy of the legends from a young age, up close. Get it right this summer, and he could be a part of that pantheon. So, could Brazil win the World Cup?

“We are striving for this. It is a goal for the entire country: to win again after so many years. We are working very hard, and I truly hope we succeed,” he said.