 Rafael playing forNapoli in 2014 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Rafael Cabral Barbosa[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1990-05-20)20 May 1990 (age 34)[2] | ||
| Place of birth | Sorocaba, Brazil | ||
| Height | 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Goalkeeper | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Real Salt Lake | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2003–2010 | Santos | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2010–2013 | Santos | 151 | (0) |
| 2013–2018 | Napoli | 32 | (0) |
| 2018–2019 | Sampdoria | 2 | (0) |
| 2019–2022 | Reading | 95 | (0) |
| 2022–2024 | Cruzeiro | 95 | (0) |
| 2024 | →Grêmio (loan) | 0 | (0) |
| 2025– | Real Salt Lake | 0 | (0) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2012 | Brazil Olympic | 1 | (0) |
| 2012 | Brazil | 3 | (0) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 11 January 2024 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 9 June 2012 | |||
Rafael Cabral Barbosa (born 20 May 1990), known asRafael Cabral or simplyRafael, is a Brazilian professionalfootballer who plays as agoalkeeper forReal Salt Lake.
Born inSorocaba, Rafael joinedSantos youth system in 2003. In 2010, he was promoted to the first team, but broke his right leg in a split with thecentre backDomingos and sidelined for four months.
Rafael played in the second half of the match between Santos and theNew York Red Bulls in the United States. It was won by Red Bull by 3–1 but Rafael did not concede a goal, the three goals from New York were scored in the first half, when the goalkeeper wasFábio Costa.
His debut in the first team for Santos in an official game took place on 2 June 2010, the match between Santos andCruzeiro inMineirão, where the score was 0–0. He took the place ofFelipe, who had played all previous 37 matches that season.
On 20 August 2012, Rafael Cabral's right eye started bleeding when he collided withJuan Manuel Martínez in a2012 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A fixture between Santos andCorinthians. He then recovered and was able to continue the game. Santos won the game 3–2.[3]
On 28 June 2013, Rafael was sold fromSantos to Italian sideNapoli. TheAzzurri paid €5 million for the Brazilian goalkeeper.[4] Rafael made hisUEFA Champions League debut againstArsenal in a group stage match in Naples. Napoli won the match 2–0 and Rafael was able to keep a clean sheet against the English side. Nevertheless, Napoli was unable to advance out of the group stages.
He was managerRafael Benítez's first-choice goalkeeper for the2014–15 season following the departure of the loaned-inPepe Reina.[5] On 22 December, in the2014 Supercoppa Italiana inDoha, he gave Napoli victory overJuventus by saving fromSimone Padoin in sudden death at the end of apenalty shootout.[6]
On 22 July 2018, Rafael Cabral signed withU.C. Sampdoria on a free transfer.[7][8] On 5 August 2019, Sampdoria announced that Rafael Cabral’s contract with the club had been terminated by mutual agreement.[9]
On 6 August 2019,Reading announced the signing of Rafael on a three-year contract.[10] Rafael made his debut againstWycombe Wanderers in theEFL Cup and saved two penalties in the penalty shootout win.[11] Rafael made hisSky Bet Championship debut againstCardiff City and gained his first clean sheet for the club in a 3–0 victory.[12] He then went on to claim the No. 1 spot, beating out Everton loanee João Virginia and Sam Walker. Rafael’s heroics during consecutive games in the month of December earned him a spot on WhoScored.com Team of the Month for December 2019.
On 22 July 2020, ahead of the final game of the2019–20 season, Rafael was announced as the clubs player of the season.[13]
On 17 January 2022, Rafael left Reading after his contract was terminated by mutual consent.[14]
On 19 January 2022, Rafael returned to Brazil after 9 years in Europe, signing for Série B clubCruzeiro on a two-year contract.
On January 21, 2025, Rafael signed with MLS side Real Salt Lake.
Rafael made his debut forBrazil against theUnited States on 30 May 2012, in a 4–1 win.
He was called up to theBrazil national under-23 football team at the London2012 Summer Olympics but was later replaced due to injury.
| Club | Season | League | National Cup | League Cup | Continental | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Santos | 2010 | Série A | 32 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 2[a] | 0 | 0[b] | 0 | 36 | 0 | |
| 2011 | 32 | 0 | — | — | 14[c] | 0 | 22[d] | 0 | 68 | 0 | ||||
| 2012 | 25 | 0 | — | — | 12[c] | 0 | 16[e] | 0 | 53 | 0 | ||||
| 2013 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | — | 23[f] | 0 | 32 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 94 | 0 | 6 | 0 | - | - | 28 | 0 | 61 | 0 | 189 | 0 | ||
| Napoli | 2013–14 | Serie A | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | 2[g] | 0 | - | 11 | 0 | ||
| 2014–15 | 23 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 8[h] | 0 | 1[i] | 0 | 32 | 0 | |||
| 2015–16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 0[j] | 0 | - | 0 | 0 | ||||
| 2016–17 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | 0[k] | 0 | - | 2 | 0 | ||||
| 2017–18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 0[l] | 0 | - | 0 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 32 | 0 | 2 | 0 | - | - | 10 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 45 | 0 | ||
| Sampdoria | 2018–19 | Serie A | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | – | – | – | 4 | 0 | |||
| Reading | 2019–20 | EFL Championship | 44 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | – | – | 46 | 0 | ||
| 2020–21 | 45 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 45 | 0 | ||||
| 2021–22 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 7 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 95 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 98 | 0 | ||
| Cruzeiro | 2022 | Série B | 37 | 0 | 6 | 0 | - | - | 11[f] | 0 | 54 | 0 | ||
| 2023 | Série A | 37 | 0 | 4 | 0 | - | - | 10[f] | 0 | 51 | 0 | |||
| Total | 74 | 0 | 10 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 21 | 0 | 105 | 0 | ||
| Career total | 288 | 0 | 22 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 38 | 0 | 83 | 0 | 432 | 0 | ||
Santos
Napoli
Cruzeiro
Individual