# 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.

## 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. He scored his first goal in the competition a month later, helping the visitors defeat C.D. Santa Clara 3–2.
After half a season on loan at fellow second-tier club C.F. União, Barbosa returned to Sporting B and netted eight times in 2017–18 from 34 appearances, in a final relegation to the third division. In the ensuing summer, he was loaned to Portimonense S.C. of the Primeira Liga.
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. 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, initially pressing charges for the incident but sorting the situation out shortly after.

### Tondela

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

### Farense

On 26 June 2023, the free agent Barbosa joined recently-promoted S.C. Farense on a two-year deal. 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; the strike was later considered the Primeira Liga Goal of the Month for October/November.

### 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.

## 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.

## Career statistics

    As of match played 23 November 2024
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition :
| Club | Season | League | League | League | National cup | National cup | League cup | League cup | Other | Other | Total | Total |
| Club | Season | Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| Sporting CP B | 2015–16 | LigaPro | 23 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 23 | 1 |
| Sporting CP B | 2016–17 | LigaPro | 15 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 15 | 3 |
| Sporting CP B | 2017–18 | LigaPro | 34 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 34 | 8 |
| Sporting CP B | Total | 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 |
| Tondela | 2021–22 | Primeira Liga | 29 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 36 | 2 |
| Tondela | 2022–23 | Liga Portugal 2 | 33 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 36 | 6 |
| Tondela | Total | Total | 92 | 10 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 104 | 11 |
| Farense | 2023–24 | Primeira Liga | 27 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | — | 31 | 1 |
| Farense | 2024–25 | Primeira Liga | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 8 | 0 |
| Farense | Total | Total | 34 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | — | 39 | 1 |
| Radomiak Radom | 2024–25 | Ekstraklasa | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 |
| Career total | Career total | Career total | 249 | 28 | 14 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 272 | 29 |
* ↑ Includes Taça de Portugal
* ↑ Includes Taça da Liga
* ↑ Appearance in Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira

## Honours

Paços de Ferreira
* Segunda Liga: 2018–19
Individual
* Primeira Liga Goal of the Month: October/November 2023