Article by Tudor Belivacă – Published Monday, December 22, 2025, 21:02 / Updated Monday, December 22, 2025 21:02
Rafinha Alcantara announced his retirement from football at the age of 32, due to physical problems. Through a video posted on social media, the former Barcelona, Inter and PSG player explained his reasons. In 2024, the midfielder suffered a serious injury which has now forced him to hang up his boots.
Rafinha last played for Al Arabi in Qatar. He arrived at the Gulf team after an experience at PSG.
Former Barcelona and PSG player Rafinha Alcantara retires from football: “It was a difficult process”
“A little over a year ago, I suffered a serious knee injury. Unfortunately, it prevents me from competing at the highest level. It was hard to accept that I can't continue, football has been my life for as long as I know myself, and to understand that I will no longer be able to dedicate myself to it, as I always did, was a difficult process. But, with time, I learned to look back with gratitude on my incredible journey,” said Rafinha, according to abola.pt.
“I have had the happiness to live in different countries, learn new languages and immerse myself in other cultures. I have met people who have marked me forever. I have shared the dressing room with idols and extraordinary teammates. I have defended symbols that I admired as a child and felt the support of the fans in every stadium I entered. Football has given me unforgettable moments and allowed me to work with great professionals who made me realize how privileged I was to be able to call myself footballer,” he added.
My first gift was a soccer ball, and my childhood memories are of playing with my brother and father. For the past 20 years, football has been my routine, my fuel, my identity. Today begins a new, different stage, without the adrenaline of high-level competition, but full of reasons to smile.
I am building a wonderful family that fills me with pride and happiness and has been instrumental in this whole process. Thank you to my whole family, thank you to everyone for your support and affection and thank you to football for making my big dreams come true. Coming soon
–Rafinha Alcantara
Rafinha Alcantara is the brother of Thiago Alcantara. Rafinha did his youth at Barcelona and made it to the senior team in 2014. He was loaned out for a short period to Inter and then loaned to Cela Vigo. He was acquired in 2020 by PSG for the sum of 1.5 million euros. The Parisians also loaned him to Real Sociedad, and in 2022 they transferred him to Al Arabi in Qatar. His maximum market share was 28 million euros.
He has a Champions League with Barcelona and three La Liga titles. He also won 5 Spanish Cups, a European Supercup and 2 Spanish Supercups with the Catalans. With PSG he has a Cup and a title.
