Madrid (AFP) - Barcelona, the Spanish soccer league champion, on Thursday extended the contract of its Brazilian captain Rafinha until 2030 after an excellent start to the season.
Published on: 05/11/2026 - 13:57
"Our dear leader will continue to lead the project until 2030," the Catalan club said in a brief statement.
The 29-year-old Brazilian striker, whose contract ran until 2028, previously stated in September during a press interview that he wanted to continue his career with Barcelona, and even end his football career there.
Barcelona sporting director Deco had announced at the time that an agreement had been reached with the former player for Rennes, France, and Leeds, England, who became captain of the team this season after the departure of Uruguayan Ronald Araujo (loan to Liverpool, England) and goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen (loan to Ajax, Netherlands).
After being rehired in the spearhead position following the departure of Polish Robert Lewandowski and Ferran Torres, Rafinha became the most decisive player in Europe since the beginning of the season, after scoring 19 goals and providing three assists in 13 matches in various competitions.
Since joining Barcelona in 2022, the Brazilian player has become a brilliant scorer and influential offensive leader since the arrival of German coach Hansi Flick in 2024, and he was a key element in the club winning the Spanish League titles in the last two consecutive seasons (2025 and 2026).
© 2026 AFP
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