Rafaelson

Rafaelson
Nguyễn Xuân Son
Xuân Son in 2024
Personal information
Full name Nguyễn Xuân Son
Birth name Rafaelson Bezerra Fernandes
Date of birth (1997-03-30) 30 March 1997
Place of birth Pirapemas, Maranhão, Brazil
Height 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)
Position(s) Striker
Team information
Current team
Thep Xanh Nam Dinh
Number 14
Youth career
2011–2013 Bahia
2013–2016 Vitória
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2015–2018 Vitória 12 (1)
2018Vegalta Sendai (loan) 0 (0)
2018–2019 Vegalta Sendai 0 (0)
2019–2020 Næstved 24 (5)
2020 Nam Dinh 18 (6)
2020–2021 SHB Da Nang 12 (6)
2021–2023 Topenland Binh Dinh 39 (21)
2023– Thep Xanh Nam Dinh 31 (38)
International career
2024– Vietnam 5 (7)
Medal record
Men's football
Representing  Vietnam
ASEAN Championship
WinnerASEAN 2024
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 20 November 2024, 16:27 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 5 January 2025, 18:21 (UTC)

Rafaelson Bezerra Fernandes (Brazilian Portuguese pronunciation: [ʁafaɛwˈsõ beˈze.ʁɐ feʁˈnɐ̃.d͡ʒis], born 30 March 1997), known mononymously as Rafaelson and also as Nguyễn Xuân Son (Vietnamese pronunciation: [ŋwiən˦ˀ˥ swən˧˧ sɔn˧˧]), is a professional footballer who plays as a striker for the V.League 1 club Thep Xanh Nam Dinh. Born in Brazil, he represents the Vietnam national team.

Rafaelson began his football career in his native Brazil. He went playing abroad from 2018 and had unsuccessful spells in Japan and Denmark. In 2020, he moved to Vietnam, signing for Nam Định. In this country, he blossomed as a goalscorer, finishing as V.League 1's top scorer in the 2023 and 2023–24.

Rafaelson is a dual citizen of Brazil and Vietnam. After five years of residency in Vietnam, he was granted Vietnamese citizenship in September 2024. Later in the year, he featured in the 2024 ASEAN Championship for Vietnam and scored a brace in his debut against Myanmar. Later, he finished as the top goalscorer of the tournament and assisted Vietnam in their win of the title; he went on to receive the best player award for his performances.