Rafael (footballer, born 1990)

Rafael
Rafael playing for Lyon in 2015
Personal information
Full name Rafael Pereira da Silva
Date of birth (1990-07-09) 9 July 1990
Place of birth Petrópolis, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Height 1.72 m (5 ft 8 in)
Position(s) Right-back, midfielder
Youth career
2005–2008 Fluminense
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2008–2015 Manchester United 109 (5)
2015–2020 Lyon 103 (2)
2020–2021 İstanbul Başakşehir 21 (0)
2021–2024 Botafogo 40 (0)
International career
2007 Brazil U17 12 (0)
2012 Brazil U23 7 (1)
2012 Brazil 2 (0)
Medal record
Representing  Brazil
Men's Football
2012 LondonTeam Competition
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 03:48, 4 may 2025 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 03:49 4 may 2025

Rafael Pereira da Silva (Brazilian Portuguese: [ʁafaˈew peˈɾejɾɐ ˈsiwvɐ]; born 9 July 1990), commonly known as Rafael or Rafael da Silva, is a Brazilian former professional footballer who last played for Campeonato Brasileiro Série A club Botafogo. He normally played as a right-back, but he has also been deployed as a midfielder.

Rafael and his twin brother, Fabio, began their careers with Fluminense before joining Manchester United in January 2008. After seven years in England that included three Premier League titles, Rafael joined Lyon in August 2015 for a fee of up to £2.5 million.

Rafael has two caps for Brazil, having made his debut in a 3–1 victory over Denmark on 26 May 2012. He has also played for Brazil at under-17 level and was part of the silver medal-winning under-23 side at the 2012 Summer Olympics.