In a major update, Bruno Andrade of ESPN Brasil reports that Raphinha is set to be officially named the first captain of FC Barcelona for the 2026/27 season.
Once confirmed, he will become the first-ever Brazilian footballer to be appointed the first captain of the Catalan club.
Major shuffling
Coming into the summer, Barcelona had Marc-Andre ter Stegen as their first captain, who was followed by Ronald Araujo, Frenkie de Jong, Raphinha, and Pedri in the pecking order.
However, with the new season less than a week away, the Blaugrana have bid goodbye to both Ter Stegen and Araujo, with the pair joining Ajax and Liverpool, respectively, on loan.
The new first captain. (Photo by Daniela Porcelli/Getty Images)
Meanwhile, De Jong has been out sidelined with an injury and is likely to be out for an extended period.
This created a vacancy at the top of the captaincy hierarchy at Barcelona, and the report suggests that Raphinha has been selected to lead the team.
Deserved appointment
If true, it would be a deserved reward for Raphinha, who has become one of Barça’s most important players in the past couple of seasons under Hansi Flick.
Indeed, the Brazilian international is pretty much an extension of the manager on the field and sets the tone for his team with his hard work, commitment, and intensity.
Raphinha enjoyed a spectacular 2024/25 campaign following which he was in the conversation for the Ballon d’Or.
Deserved promotion for Raphinha. (Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images)
Last time out, however, the 29-year-old attacker’s campaign was hampered by recurring hamstring injuries, which stopped him from hitting his peak form.
Raphinha was troubled by the injury during the World Cup with Brazil as well. As such, the winger and the coaching staff have been fully focused on helping him return to peak fitness and reach the heights he reached during the 2024/25 season.
With the added responsibility of being the first captain, Raphinha, who had been linked with a move to Saudi Arabia earlier in the summer, will be further motivated to step up and reproduce his best version for Barcelona.
Meanwhile, with multiple vacancies created in the leadership group, Eric Garcia has also emerged as a strong contender for one of the captaincy positions.