November 6, 2026
Barcelona, the Spanish Football League title holder, announced on Thursday that it had extended the contract of its captain, Brazilian striker Rafinha, until 2030, thus cutting off speculation about the future of the player whose previous contract expired in 2028.
A brief statement issued by the Catalan club said: “Our dear leader will continue to lead the project until 2030,” in an official confirmation of what the 29-year-old player said last September regarding his desire to continue his career with Barcelona and end his football career in its ranks.
Barcelona’s sporting director, Deco, had previously hinted at reaching an agreement to renew the contract of the former player for Rennes, France, and Leeds United, England, who took over the captaincy this season following the departure of Uruguayan Ronald Araujo (on loan to Liverpool) and goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen (on loan to Ajax Amsterdam, Netherlands).
On the technical level, Rafinha, after being rehired in the spearhead position following the departure of Polish Robert Lewandowski and Ferran Torres, succeeded in imposing himself as one of the most powerful and influential players on the European continent since the start of the season, scoring 19 goals and providing three assists during the 13 matches he played in various competitions.
It is noteworthy that the Brazilian star, since joining Barcelona in 2022, has turned into a brilliant scorer and an indispensable offensive pillar since German coach Hansi Flick took over as technical director in 2024, playing a pivotal role in leading the team to win the Spanish League title in the last two seasons in a row (2025 and 2026).
