Rafaelle Souza: Why the Arsenal star almost quit football and how she has impacted Brazil
From Copa America success with Brazil to challenging for the Women’s Super League title with Arsenal, Souza has become a key player for club and country. But before she hit the world stage, she very nearly gave up the game for good. Here’s all you need to know about her career so far.
Football
Rafaelle Souza is far from your ordinary footballer.
The Brazilian studied civil engineering on a football scholarship at the University of Mississippi where she scored 44 goals in 61 games before spending a short stint at NWSL outfit Houston Dash.
But it was after returning to Brazil from the United States that she seriously considered stepping away from the game.
Rafaelle told the BBC, "I was going to go into engineering because I could make more money than playing football in Brazil."
Then she received a lucrative offer to sign for Chinese Women’s Super League side Changchun Zhuoyue.
There she was joined by national team colleagues Raquel, Cristiane and Darlene, before joining English giants Arsenal in 2022 and becoming the first Brazilian ever to play for the Gunners' women’s side.
Rafaelle is in the prime of her career as she nears the end of her first full season in North London.
Having already won the League Cup, Arsenal - despite missing injured Dutch star Vivianne Miedema - are still in the WSL title race as well as the Champions League semi-finals.
The 31-year-old defender will play a key role in her club's treble bid, but she is also needed by her country more than ever.
With six-time FIFA World Player of the Year Marta sidelined by a serious knee injury, Rafaelle will almost certainly wear the captain’s armband again for Brazil's upcoming Finalissima fixture against England.
And with the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup just around the corner, she will relish the opportunity to showcase her talent on the biggest stage.
Rafaelle Souza's life in London
In January 2022, Rafaelle became the first Brazilian woman to sign for Arsenal.
"Her international experience, technical ability and leadership qualities make her an important signing for us," Arsenal boss Jonas Eidevall told the press in January 2022.
She settled in quickly, but was unable to help the Gunners to silverware that season as they were pipped by Chelsea to the league title by a point.
They have already made amends this term by beating their London rivals in the League Cup final.
The two teams are also in the race for the Women’s Super League title along with Manchester United and Manchester City, with both London clubs reaching the UEFA Women's Champions League semi-finals.
Rafaelle will have high hopes for a strong finish to her first full season in England, having come a long way since contemplating giving the game up for good a decade ago.
Rafaelle Souza's success with Brazil
Rafaelle has proved herself indispensable to Brazil manager Pia Sundhage with her ability to play in defence or midfield.
In last year's Copa America triumph, Rafaelle was key as the side clinched a fourth consecutive title without conceding a goal.
She made her senior international debut back in December 2011, coming on as a substitute against Chile, with her first start coming against Canada the following March.
With 77 appearances and eight goals for her country, Rafaelle’s experience has helped steady the ship for the future as the Canarinhas try to build on the foundations laid by legends like Marta and Formiga.
And if Marta fails to recover from her cruciate knee ligament tear in time for this summer's FIFA Women’s World Cup, she will be ready to step up once again when Brazil needs her most.
Where to watch Rafaelle Souza next
Following their quarter-final win over Bayern Munich, Rafaelle’s Arsenal are now through to the semi-finals of the Women’s Champions League where they’ll face Wolfsburg on April 23 and May 1.
The defender has also been picked in the squad for Brazil’s upcoming Finalissima fixture against England and the subsequent friendly against EURO 2022 runners-up Germany.
Brazil will play England in the first ever Women’s Finalissima at Wembley on 6 April at 19:45 GMT.
Women’s Champions League fixtures are shown live on DAZN, and UK-based fans can watch the 2023 Finalissima live on ITV or stream live on the ITVX app and website.
Upcoming Fixtures
- England vs Brazil: 6 April, Finalissima
- Germany vs Brazil: 11 April, Friendly
- Wolfsburg vs Arsenal: 23 April, Champions League
- Arsenal v Wolfsburg: 1 May, Champions League