Raphinha becomes first Barcelona player selected for 2026 World Cup

Raphinha has etched his name into FC Barcelona’s history books, becoming the first player from the Catalan club to be officially confirmed in a national squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The Brazilian winger, who also serves as one of Barcelona’s captains, was included in coach Carlo Ancelotti’s final 26-man roster for the tournament set to take place across the US, Canada, and Mexico.

Qualifying numbers that demanded selection

Eight goals and four assists across 20 qualifying matches. Brazil’s path to the tournament was not exactly smooth. The Selecao secured their spot with a narrow 1-0 victory over Paraguay in June 2025. Raphinha was central to that campaign, providing the kind of consistent output that separates squad hopefuls from automatic selections.

His official inclusion in the final squad came around May 18, 2026, confirmed through Brazil’s national team announcement. Social media posts from June 11-13, 2026, further cemented the news, with fans and commentators highlighting the historic nature of the selection from Barcelona’s perspective.

From Leeds to Barcelona to World Cup regular

He joined Barcelona from Leeds United in 2022, arriving at a club in financial turmoil and undergoing a generational rebuild. That same year, he made his World Cup debut in Qatar, representing Brazil on the biggest stage in football.

The 2026 tournament will be his second consecutive World Cup appearance. At Barcelona, Raphinha has evolved from a promising signing into a leadership figure, serving as one of the club’s captains.

Brazil enters the 2026 World Cup chasing a record-extending sixth title.

What this means for the crypto-sports intersection

Despite the massive global attention the World Cup generates, there is no notable crypto tie-in surrounding Raphinha’s selection or Brazil’s World Cup campaign. The 2022 World Cup in Qatar was saturated with crypto advertisements, from FTX’s now-infamous presence to Crypto.com’s branding deals. Fan tokens, which Barcelona was among the first major clubs to embrace, have largely faded from mainstream sports conversation.

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