In June 1998, Mircea Lucescu noticed Raț, and he signed his first professional contract with Rapid București on 26 June. Raț started his professional career with Romanian Premier League side Rapid București in 1998. In 2003, he was signed by Ukrainian club Shakhtar Donetsk, where he became a key player. He played the whole game as Donetsk won the 2009 UEFA Cup Final.