Rafael Barbosa (footballer, born 1996)

Rafael Avelino Pereira Pinto Barbosa (born 29 March 1996) is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for Polish club Radomiak Radom.

Rafael Barbosa

Personal information
Full name	Rafael Avelino Pereira Pinto Barbosa
Date of birth	(1996-03-29) 29 March 1996 (age 29)[1]
Place of birth	Amarante, Portugal[1]
Height	1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)[1]
Position(s)	Attacking midfielder
Team information
Current team	Radomiak Radom
Number	19
Youth career
2004–2005	ACD Madalena
2005–2006	Académico Amarante
2006–2008	Boavista
2007–2008	→ Pasteleira (loan)
2008–2015	Sporting CP
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2015–2020	Sporting CP B	72	(12)
2016–2017	→ União Madeira (loan)	9	(0)
2018	→ Portimonense (loan)	4	(0)
2019	→ Paços Ferreira (loan)	16	(1)
2019–2020	→ Estoril (loan)	22	(4)
2020–2023	Tondela	92	(10)
2023–2025	Farense	34	(1)
2025–	Radomiak Radom	3	(1)
International career
2011	Portugal U15	2	(0)
2011–2012	Portugal U16	9	(0)
2012–2013	Portugal U17	5	(0)
2017	Portugal U21	1	(0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 23:55, 15 February 2025 (UTC)

Club career

Sporting CP

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 in the Segunda Liga.^[2] He scored his first goal in the competition a month later, helping the visitors defeat C.D. Santa Clara 3–2.^[3]

After half a season on loan at fellow second-tier club C.F. União,^[4][5] Barbosa returned to Sporting B and netted eight times in 2017–18 from 34 appearances, in a final relegation to the third division.^[6] In the ensuing summer, he was loaned to Portimonense S.C. of the Primeira Liga.^[7]

Barbosa played his first match in the Portuguese top flight on 13 August 2018, coming on as a 73rd-minute substitute for Felipe Macedo in a 0–2 home loss to Boavista FC.^[8] On 30 September, during a game in the newly created under-23 league against S.L. Benfica, he was assaulted by the chairman of Portimonense's PLSC Rodiney Sampaio,^[9] initially pressing charges for the incident^[10] but sorting the situation out shortly after.^[11]

Tondela

On 18 August 2020, Barbosa signed a three-year contract with C.D. Tondela.^[12] On 23 October, he scored in a 1–0 home victory over Portimonense for his first ever goal in the top tier.^[13]

Farense

On 26 June 2023, the free agent Barbosa joined recently-promoted S.C. Farense on a two-year deal.^[14] He scored his first goal for the club on 12 November, netting from outside the penalty area in a 3–1 league win at Boavista;^[15] the strike was later considered the Primeira Liga Goal of the Month for October/November.^[16]

Radomiak Radom

On 15 January 2025, Barbosa moved abroad for the first time after agreeing to an eighteen-month contract with Polish Ekstraklasa club Radomiak Radom.^[17]

International career

Barbosa won his only cap for the Portugal 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 in the 2019 UEFA European Championship qualifiers.^[18]

Career statistics

As of match played 23 November 2024^[19]

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition

Club	Season	League			National cup[a]		League cup[b]		Other		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Sporting CP B	2015–16	LigaPro	23	1	—		—		—		23	1
	2016–17	LigaPro	15	3	—		—		—		15	3
	2017–18	LigaPro	34	8	—		—		—		34	8
	Total		72	12	—		—		—		72	12
União Madeira (loan)	2016–17	LigaPro	9	0	2	0	2	0	—		13	0
Portimonense (loan)	2018–19	Primeira Liga	4	0	0	0	0	0	—		4	0
Paços Ferreira (loan)	2018–19	LigaPro	16	1	0	0	0	0	—		16	1
Estoril (loan)	2019–20	LigaPro	22	4	1	0	1	0	—		24	4
Tondela	2020–21	Primeira Liga	30	3	2	0	—		—		32	3
	2021–22	Primeira Liga	29	2	6	0	1	0	—		36	2
	2022–23	Liga Portugal 2	33	5	2	1	0	0	1[c]	0	36	6
	Total		92	10	10	1	1	0	1	0	104	11
Farense	2023–24	Primeira Liga	27	1	0	0	4	0	—		31	1
	2024–25	Primeira Liga	7	0	1	0	—		—		8	0
	Total		34	1	1	0	4	0	—		39	1
Radomiak Radom	2024–25	Ekstraklasa	0	0	—		—		—		0	0
Career total			249	28	14	1	8	0	1	0	272	29

1. Includes Taça de Portugal
2. Includes Taça da Liga
3. Appearance in Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira

Honours

Paços de Ferreira

• Segunda Liga: 2018–19^[19]

Individual

• Primeira Liga Goal of the Month: October/November 2023^[20]