Rafa Soares

In this Portuguese name, the first or maternal family name is Soares and the second or paternal family name is Alves.

Luís Rafael "Rafa" Soares Alves (born 9 May 1995) is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays as a left-back for Primeira Liga club Famalicão.

Rafa Soares

Personal information
Full name	Luís Rafael Soares Alves[1]
Date of birth	(1995-05-09) 9 May 1995 (age 29)[1]
Place of birth	Marco de Canaveses, Portugal[1]
Height	1.77 m (5 ft 9+1⁄2 in)[1]
Position(s)	Left-back
Team information
Current team	Famalicão
Number	5
Youth career
2003–2005	Alpendorada
2005–2014	Porto
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2013–2018	Porto B	61	(8)
2016	→ Académica (loan)	15	(1)
2016–2017	→ Rio Ave (loan)	32	(3)
2017–2018	→ Fulham (loan)	3	(0)
2018	Portimonense	11	(0)
2018–2022	Vitória Guimarães	67	(1)
2020–2021	→ Eibar (loan)	25	(0)
2022–2024	PAOK	40	(2)
2024–	Famalicão	3	(0)
International career
2010–2011	Portugal U16	11	(0)
2011–2012	Portugal U17	12	(1)
2012	Portugal U18	3	(0)
2012–2014	Portugal U19	30	(2)
2014	Portugal U20	7	(0)
2014–2016	Portugal U21	9	(0)
Medal record Men's football Representing  Portugal UEFA European Under-19 Championship Runner-up 2014 Hungary
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 17:48, 27 October 2024 (UTC)

Club career

Porto

Born in Marco de Canaveses, Porto District, Soares joined FC Porto's youth system in 2005 from local F.C. Alpendorada. On 21 August 2013, while still a junior, he made his professional debut with the former's reserves, coming on as a 79th-minute substitute in a 1–0 away win against Portimonense S.C. in the Segunda Liga.^[2]

From January 2016 to June 2017, Soares was on loan to Académica de Coimbra and Rio Ave FC, with both clubs in the Primeira Liga.^[3][4] He played his first game in the competition on 22 January 2016 while at service of the former in a 2–1 away loss to Vitória de Setúbal,^[5] and scored his first goal the following matchday but in a 3–2 defeat at Sporting CP.^[6]

On 22 August 2017, deemed surplus to requirements by new Porto manager Sérgio Conceição, Soares was loaned to EFL Championship side Fulham in a season-long deal.^[7] He made his debut on 31 October, coming from the bench in a 0–2 home loss to Bristol City.^[8]

Soares' deal was mutually terminated by on 31 January 2018, after they had loaned Matt Targett earlier that month.^[9] The same day, he signed a permanent contract with Portimonense in his country's top flight.^[10]

Vitória Guimarães

On 6 July 2018, Soares agreed to a contract at Vitória de Guimarães.^[11] On 31 January 2020, he joined SD Eibar of Spain's La Liga on an 18-month loan with the option to buy.^[12]

After returning from the relegated Basque team, Soares scored his first Vitória goal on 21 November 2021, as a substitute in a 3–2 defeat at neighbours Moreirense F.C. in the fourth round of the Taça de Portugal.^[13]

PAOK

In June 2022, Soares signed a three-year deal with Super League Greece club PAOK FC.^[14] He totalled 33 games in his first season, finishing runner-up in the domestic cup.^[15]

Soares scored his first league goal on 25 November 2023, closing the 5–0 home win over Panserraikos FC.^[16] He added another in a 3–0 victory against PAS Lamia 1964,^[17] claiming the national championship alongside his compatriots André Ricardo and Vieirinha.^[18]

Career statistics

As of match played 24 April 2024^[19]

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition

Club	Season	League			National cup[lower-alpha 1]		League cup[lower-alpha 2]		Europe		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Porto B	2013–14	Segunda Liga	11	1	—		—		—		11	1
	2014–15		30	2	—		—		—		30	2
	2015–16		20	5	—		—		—		20	5
	Total		61	8	—		—		—		61	8
Académica (loan)	2015–16	Primeira Liga	15	1	—		—		—		15	1
Rio Ave (loan)	2016–17	Primeira Liga	32	3	—		3	0	2[lower-alpha 3]	0	37	3
Fulham (loan)	2017–18	Championship	3	0	—		—		—		3	0
Portimonense	2017–18	Primeira Liga	11	0	—		—		—		11	0
Vitória Guimarães	2018–19	Primeira Liga	27	0	2	0	1	0	—		30	0
	2019–20		10	0	1	0	1	0	5[lower-alpha 3]	0	17	0
	2021–22		30	1	2	1	2	0	—		34	2
	Total		67	1	5	1	4	0	5	0	81	2
Eibar (loan)	2019–20	La Liga	6	0	—		—		—		6	0
	2020–21		19	0	3	0	—		—		22	0
	Total		25	0	3	0	—		—		28	0
PAOK	2022–23	Super League Greece	26	0	5	0	—		2[lower-alpha 4]	0	33	0
	2023–24		12	2	4	0	—		5[lower-alpha 4]	0	21	2
	Total		38	2	9	0	—		7	0	54	2
Career Total			252	15	37	1	7	0	14	0	310	16

1. Includes Taça de Portugal, Copa del Rey, Greek Football Cup
2. Includes Taça da Liga
3. Appearances in UEFA Europa League
4. Appearances in UEFA Europa Conference League

Honours

Porto B

• LigaPro: 2015–16^[20]

PAOK

• Super League Greece: 2023–24^[21][18]

References

1. "Rafa Soares" (in Portuguese). Mais Futebol. Retrieved 8 August 2021.
2. "Portimonense-FC Porto B, 0–1: O "miúdo" deu 3 pontos" [Portimonense-FC Porto B, 0–1: The "kid" gave 3 points]. Record (in Portuguese). 21 August 2013. Retrieved 4 February 2020.
3. "Oficial: Académica anuncia Rafa por empréstimo do FC Porto" [Official: Académica announce Rafa on loan from FC Porto] (in Portuguese). Mais Futebol. 17 January 2016. Retrieved 18 August 2017.
4. "Dragões emprestam Rafa ao Rio Ave" [Dragons loan Rafa to Rio Ave] (in Portuguese). Rádio Renascença. 7 July 2016. Retrieved 18 August 2017.
5. "V. Setúbal-Académica, 2–1 (resultado final)" [V. Setúbal-Académica, 2–1 (final score)] (in Portuguese). Mais Futebol. 22 January 2016. Retrieved 17 January 2022.
6. "Sporting 3–2 Académica: jogo pleno de emoções, muitos golos e incerteza até perto do fim" [Sporting 3–2 Académica: game full of excitement, many goals and uncertainty until the last minutes] (in Portuguese). Vavel. 30 January 2016. Retrieved 22 August 2017.
7. "Rafa Soares: Fulham complete loan signing of Porto left-back". BBC Sport. 22 August 2017. Retrieved 22 August 2017.
8. "Fulham 0–2 Bristol City". BBC Sport. 31 October 2017. Retrieved 1 November 2017.
9. "Soares loan terminated". Fulham F.C. 31 January 2018. Retrieved 31 January 2018.
10. "Rafa Soares assina pelo Portimonense a título definitivo" [Rafa Soares signs permanently with Portimonense]. O Jogo (in Portuguese). 31 January 2018. Retrieved 1 February 2018.
11. "Rafa Soares ruma ao Vitória de Guimarães" [Rafa Soares heading to Vitória de Guimarães]. Jornal de Notícias (in Portuguese). 6 July 2018. Retrieved 6 February 2020.
12. Mendia, Iker (31 January 2020). "El Eibar ficha al lateral izquierdo Rafa Soares procedente del Vitoria Guimaraes" [Eibar sign left-back Rafa Soares from Vitória Guimarães]. El Diario Vasco (in Spanish). Retrieved 6 February 2020.
13. "Moreirense elimina V. Guimarães da Taça" [Moreirense eliminate V. Guimarães from the Cup] (in Portuguese). Rádio e Televisão de Portugal. 21 November 2021. Retrieved 9 January 2022.
14. "Έρχεται ο Σοάρες, από… κοντά και ο Ρέντε για ΠΑΟΚ" [Soares coming, Rende expected at PAOK] (in Greek). Sport FM. 5 June 2022. Retrieved 5 June 2022.
15. Tsouvaras, Thomas (24 May 2023). "ΑΕΚ – ΠΑΟΚ 2–0: Ασύγκριτη! Η Ένωση κατέκτησε ένα ιστορικό νταμπλ, σάρωσε τους Θεσσαλονικείς με 10 παίκτες από το 6'" [AEK – PAOK 2–0: Unmatched! Union conquered historic double, Thessaloniki swept with 10 players at 6'] (in Greek). Sport 24. Retrieved 17 May 2024.
16. Soudoulidis, Stavros (25 November 2023). "ΠΑΟΚ – Πανσερραϊκός 5–0: Καταιγίδα!" [PAOK – Panserraikos 5–0: Storm!] (in Greek). Gazzetta. Retrieved 17 May 2024.
17. "Grécia: Rafa Soares marca e PAOK engata a quinta" [Greece: Rafa Soares scores and PAOK go for fifth] (in Portuguese). CNN Portugal. 4 December 2023. Retrieved 23 May 2024.
18. "Fernando Gomes felicita Vieirinha, André Ricardo e Rafa Soares" [Fernando Gomes congratulates Vieirinha, André Ricardo and Rafa Soares] (in Portuguese). Portuguese Football Federation. 19 May 2024. Retrieved 23 May 2024.
19. Rafa Soares at Soccerway
20. Monteiro, André (12 May 2016). "Equipa B entrega troféu da 2.ª Liga a Pinto da Costa" [B team give 2nd League trophy to Pinto da Costa]. Record (in Portuguese). Retrieved 26 June 2022.
21. Seretis, Yannis (19 May 2024). "ΠΑΟΚ 4Χ4 και... 1,2, 4 ως αουτσάιντερ: από 75–68 το έκανε 78–80!" [PAOK 4X4 and... 1,2, 4 as outsiders: they went from 75–68 to 78–80!] (in Greek). Gazzetta. Retrieved 19 May 2024.

External links

• Rafa Soares at ForaDeJogo (archived)
• Rafa Soares at BDFutbol
• Rafa Soares national team profile at the Portuguese Football Federation (in Portuguese)