Raphinha extends with Barcelona to 2030 after thinking he was leaving

Raphinha has flipped his Barcelona future: the forward extended his contract to 2030 after two years ago he believed his time was ending. In the interview he explained that he had it in his head he was leaving, but “a few small words” made the difference, saying: “maybe people saw in me something I didn’t realise was there.”

The timing fits a season shaped by departures and a striker shortage. With the exits of Robert Lewandowski, Ferran Torres and Marcus Rashford—who combined for 38 league goals last season—Barcelona were set to replace them with Julián Álvarez, but Atlético Madrid refused to sell. Raphinha described the outcome simply: “There was a moment of need… There was no No 9” and he ended up playing that role, starting with the Basel friendly.

A striker’s start

Seven league games in, Raphinha has 12 goals in LaLiga and two more in the Champions League. He scored vs Elche, Athletic, Rayo and Valencia, hit a hat-trick vs Racing, added goals against Sevilla and then again against Feyenoord. The only match where he didn’t score was against Levante, where he created Barcelona’s first two and later teed up Lamine Yamal’s penalty for the third.

On leadership, Flick told him he’s the “perfect captain”, and Raphinha said the coach “changed my mentality, changed me as a person.”