Rafael Barbosa


Rafael Avelino Pereira Pinto Barbosa is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for G.D. Estoril Praia on loan from Sporting CP.

Club career

Born in Amarante, Porto District, Barbosa joined Sporting CP's youth academy at the age of 12. On 12 September 2015, he made his professional debut with the reserve team, playing 50 minutes in a 4–0 away win against Clube Oriental de Lisboa for the Segunda Liga. He scored his first goal in the competition one month later, helping the visitors defeat C.D. Santa Clara 3–2.
After half a season on loan at fellow league club C.F. União, Barbosa returned to Sporting B and netted eight times in 2017–18 from 34 appearances, in a final relegation to the third division. In the ensuing summer, he was loaned to Portimonense S.C. from the Primeira Liga.
Barbosa played his first match in the Portuguese top level on 13 August 2018, coming on as a 73rd-minute substitute for Felipe Macedo in a 0–2 home loss to Boavista FC. On 30 September, during a game for the newly created under-23 league against S.L. Benfica, he was assaulted by the chairman of Portimonense's PLSC Rodiney Sampaio, initially pressing charges for the incident but sorting the situation out shortly after.

International career

Barbosa won his only cap for the Portuguese under-21 team on 5 September 2017, replacing Benfica's João Carvalho early into the second half of a 2–0 home defeat of Wales for the 2019 UEFA European Championship qualifiers.

Honours

Paços de Ferreira