Raphinha was forced off while on Brazil duty with a problem in his right thigh, raising concerns for both the national team and Barcelona. Match coverage showed him grimacing before he was replaced by Rayan, with reports placing his exit at approximately the 45-minute mark. The injury was later described as muscular edema in the thigh.
The injury date was reported as 29 September 2026. Raphinha missed Barcelona matches against Getafe and Galatasaray before returning to the squad for the game against Real Betis. Barcelona coach Hansi Flick said, “The good thing is that he’s available,” while making clear that the forward’s minutes would be managed as he returned to action.
Flick said the club was taking a gradual approach to Raphinha’s recovery: “If you ask him, he’ll tell you he’s ready to start, but we’re taking things step by step.” Raphinha later came on as a substitute against Real Betis and played about an hour against Paris Saint-Germain, pointing to a controlled return with his minutes increasing gradually.
The absence followed a prolific start for Barcelona: ESPN reported that Raphinha had scored 14 goals in eight appearances while playing as a striker before the injury. He later described his recovery in his own words: “I think I could have lasted a few more minutes… I’m getting back to full fitness again.” His missed fixtures and managed comeback made workload a practical concern for the club, although the injury did not lead to a prolonged absence.
Hansi Flick is Barcelona’s head coach, while Carlo Ancelotti is Brazil’s manager. Reports have also cited earlier right-thigh or hamstring problems during Brazil duty, including an episode in March against France; those accounts place the latest injury within a broader history of muscle concerns, without establishing that the episodes shared the same underlying cause. Raphinha’s return to competitive play after missing three matches, one for Brazil and two for Barcelona, gave a clearer measure of the short-term impact than the uncertainty immediately after his substitution.
