Former Barcelona and PSG star retires from football at age 32

Former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Rafinha Alcântara has decided to end his playing career at the age of 32, after more than a year without playing.

Also active with the Brazilian national team, Rafinha spent around a decade playing in Europe’s top leagues.

Highly regarded as a product of Barcelona’s “La Masia” academy, Rafinha followed in the footsteps of his older brother, Thiago Alcântara, rising to the first team from a young age.

After a successful loan spell at Celta Vigo, he spent four years with Barcelona’s first team, with his best period under the guidance of Luis Enrique.

Rafinha contributed to the historic 6-1 victory over PSG and the Catalans’ famous treble.

However, just when it looked like he could challenge for a starting spot, his career was hampered by a series of injuries.

In total, he played 90 games for Barcelona, ??scoring 12 goals and providing 8 assists.

Rafinha then had several short loan spells at Inter and a season-long return to Celta Vigo, where his father, former Brazil international Mazinho, had also played.

In 2020, he signed for Paris Saint-Germain, where he stayed for two seasons, before a final loan spell in Spain at Real Sociedad.

After leaving La Real, Rafinha spent two years in Qatar with Al-Arabi, but there he struggled to find continuity.

After leaving as a free agent in the summer of 2024, he was out of action for around 18 months.

On 22 December, Rafinha posted a farewell video on Instagram, confirming his retirement from football.

In total, Rafinha played 358 matches at club level, scoring 51 goals and providing 52 assists.

He also made two appearances for the Brazil national team in 2015 and won the Olympic gold medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics.

During his career, Rafinha won 15 trophies, including the Ligue 1 title, three La Liga titles, the Copa del Rey and the 2015 Champions League triumph.