.JPG) Tolói warming up forAtalanta in 2016 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Rafael Tolói[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | (1990-10-10)10 October 1990 (age 35)[2] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Glória d'Oeste,Mato Grosso, Brazil | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)[3] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Centre-back | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Team information | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Current team | São Paulo | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Number | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2007–2009 | Goiás | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009–2012 | Goiás | 151 | (20) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2012–2015 | São Paulo | 95 | (3) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2014 | →Roma (loan) | 5 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2015–2025 | Atalanta | 253 | (10) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2025– | São Paulo | 0 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| International career‡ | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009 | Brazil U20 | 19 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2021–2023 | Italy | 14 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
| |||||||||||||||||||||||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 17:02, 31 May 2025 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals as of 18 June 2023 (UTC) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Rafael TolóiCavaliere OMRI (born 10 October 1990) is a professionalfootballer who plays as acentre-back forCampeonato Brasileiro Série A clubSão Paulo.
Tolói represented his native country of Brazil internationally at theunder-20 level in 2009, but switched allegiance at the senior grade to Italy in 2021 after meetingFIFA's five-year residencyrequirement.[4] He had been living in Italy since his move to Atalanta early in the 2015–16 season, and had years earlier acquiredItalian citizenship, for which he was eligible because his great-grandparents hailed fromTreviso,Veneto.[5] He made his senior debut for Italy in 2021, and represented the nation at their victoriousUEFA Euro 2020 campaign.
Born inGlória d'Oeste,Mato Grosso, he started playing forGoiás Esporte Clube in 2008,[3] and helped his club win theCampeonato Goiano in 2009.[3] Tolói played 17Série B games for Goiás and scored two goals.[6] He reached the2010 Copa Sudamericana finals with the green team.
On 5 July 2012,São Paulo confirmed Tolói in their squad, with the defender signing a five-year contract.[7] He scored his first goal for São Paulo on 25 July 2012 in a match againstAtlético Goianiense.[8]
On 3 August 2013, Tolói scored the goal that confirmed the title ofEusébio Cup for São Paulo FC, in a 2–0 victory againstS.L. Benfica.[9]
On 31 January 2014, Tolói was loaned toSerie A sideAS Roma for the remainder of the2013–14 season for a fee of €500,000. The move was agreed with an option to buy for a total value of €5.5 million.[10] He made his debut for the Giallorossi in their 2–1 win againstTorino on 25 March 2014, playing the full 90 minutes in place of the suspendedMedhi Benatia.[11]
On 26 August 2015, Tolói was signed byAtalanta for a €3.5 million transfer fee.[12] He made his debut on 13 September, in a 2–2league draw atSassuolo, replacingGianpaolo Bellini in the 80th minute.[13] In his second match, eleven days later, he started and scored the sole goal, settling a 1–0 league win atEmpoli.[14]
On 22 February 2018, Tolói scored for the first time in aUEFA competition, againstBorussia Dortmund in theEuropa League round of 32. The match ended in a 1–1 draw, which was not enough to see Atalanta through the next round, as the club had succumbed to a 3–2 defeat in the first leg.[15]
Tolói became Atalanta'scaptain during the2020–21 season, following the departure of his predecessorPapu Gómez from the club.[16] On 1 March 2022, Tolói signed a contract extension at Atalanta, keeping him at the club through 2024 with an option to extend the deal until 2026.[17]
On 22 May 2024, Tolói made a late substitute appearance in Atalanta's 3–0 victory overBayer Leverkusen in the2024 Europa League final at theDublin Arena.[18]
On 15 August 2025, Tolói returned toSão Paulo on a contract until 31 December 2026, with an automatic extension option to 31 December 2027, conditional on performance.[19]
Tolói represented Brazil at theunder-20 level, winning theSouth American Championship and placing second in theWorld Cup in 2009.[20]
Having satisfied its eligibility rules by possessing Italian citizenship, residing in Italy for five years, and never representing Brazil at the senior level, FIFA approved Tolói's switch of international allegiance to Italy on 17 February 2021.[4][5][21][22] He was subsequently named to the Italian squad by managerRoberto Mancini on March 19, 2021,[23][24] and made his debut on the 31st in the2022 FIFAWorld Cup qualifier againstLithuania, playing the entire match in a 2–0 away victory.[25]
On 1 June 2021, Tolói was named by managerRoberto Mancini in the 26-man Italy squad for theUEFA Euro 2020.[26] In Italy's second group match on 16 June, he made his first appearance of the tournament, coming on as a second-half substitute forDomenico Berardi, and setting upCiro Immobile's goal in a 3–0 win overSwitzerland, which allowed Italy to advance to the round of 16.[27] On 11 July, Tolói won the European Championship with Italy following a 3–2penalty shoot-out victory overEngland atWembley Stadium in thefinal, after a 1–1 draw inextra-time.[28]
Tolói is a physically strong defender, who is mainly known for his anticipation. Although usually a centre-back, he is also capable of playing as a right-back, and is known for his ability to contribute offensively as well as defensively.[29][30][31]
| Club | Season | League | State league[a] | National cup[b] | Continental | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Goiás | 2008[32] | Série A | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 3 | 0 | ||
| 2009[32] | 20 | 2 | 8 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1[c] | 0 | — | 32 | 3 | |||
| 2010[32] | 26 | 0 | 15 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 8[c] | 0 | — | 54 | 4 | |||
| 2011[32] | Série B | 35 | 1 | 19 | 6 | 4 | 1 | — | — | 58 | 8 | |||
| 2012[32] | 7 | 3 | 18 | 3 | 8 | 2 | — | — | 33 | 8 | ||||
| Total | 88 | 6 | 63 | 14 | 20 | 3 | 9 | 0 | — | 180 | 23 | |||
| São Paulo | 2012[33] | Série A | 26 | 1 | — | — | 10[c] | 2 | — | 36 | 3 | |||
| 2013[33] | 15 | 0 | 14 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 9[d] | 0 | 2[e] | 0 | 40 | 1 | ||
| 2014[33] | 17 | 1 | — | 1 | 0 | 3[c] | 0 | — | 21 | 1 | ||||
| 2015[33] | 13 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8[f] | 0 | — | 31 | 0 | |||
| Total | 71 | 2 | 24 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 30 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 128 | 5 | ||
| Roma (loan) | 2013–14[33] | Serie A | 5 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | — | — | 5 | 0 | |||
| Atalanta | 2015–16[33] | Serie A | 24 | 1 | — | 0 | 0 | — | — | 24 | 1 | |||
| 2016–17[33] | 32 | 0 | — | 3 | 1 | — | — | 35 | 1 | |||||
| 2017–18[33] | 31 | 1 | — | 3 | 1 | 5[g] | 1 | — | 39 | 2 | ||||
| 2018–19[33] | 21 | 1 | — | 3 | 0 | 5[g] | 1 | — | 29 | 2 | ||||
| 2019–20[33] | 33 | 2 | — | 0 | 0 | 7[h] | 0 | — | 40 | 2 | ||||
| 2020–21[33] | 31 | 2 | — | 4 | 0 | 8[h] | 0 | — | 43 | 2 | ||||
| 2021–22[33] | 20 | 1 | — | 0 | 0 | 8[i] | 0 | — | 28 | 1 | ||||
| 2022–23[33] | 32 | 2 | — | 2 | 0 | — | — | 34 | 2 | |||||
| 2023–24[33] | 18 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | 5[g] | 0 | — | 24 | 0 | ||||
| 2024–25[33] | 11 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | 4[h] | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 0 | |||
| Total | 253 | 10 | — | 18 | 2 | 42 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 313 | 14 | |||
| Career total | 417 | 18 | 87 | 15 | 39 | 5 | 77 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 626 | 42 | ||
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Italy | 2021 | 8 | 0 |
| 2022 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2023 | 4 | 0 | |
| Total | 14 | 0 | |
Goiás
São Paulo
Atalanta
Italy
Orders
 | ||
