Rafaelle Souza
Rafaelle at the 2016 Olympics
Personal information
Full name Rafaelle Leone Carvalho Souza[1]
Date of birth (1991-06-18) 18 June 1991
Place of birth Cipó, Bahia, Brazil
Height 1.76 m (5 ft 9 in)[1]
Position(s) Defender / Midfielder
Team information
Current team
 Orlando Pride
Number 4
College career
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2011–2013 Ole Miss Rebels 61 (44)
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2014 Houston Dash 16 (0)
2014 Sao Francisco BA 1 (3)
2015 America Miniero 6 (4)
2016–2021 Changchun Zhuoyue
2021–2022 Palmeiras 9 (0)
2022–2023 Arsenal 22 (3)
2023– Orlando Pride 7 (1)
International career‡
2012– Brazil[2] 77 (8)
Medal record
Women's football
Representing  Brazil
Pan American Games
Winner2015 TorontoTeam
Copa América Femenina
Winner2022 Colombia
UEFA–CONMEBOL Finalissima
Runner-up2023 England
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 15 October 2023
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 23:10, 24 November 2022 (UTC)

Rafaelle Leone Carvalho Souza (born 18 June 1991) is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as a defender or midfielder for Orlando Pride in the National Women's Soccer League and captains the Brazil national team.

Rafaelle previously played for the University of Mississippi during her college soccer career in the United States and has played professionally for Houston Dash, Sao Francisco, America Miniero, Changchun Zhuoyue, Palmeiras and Arsenal.

Club career

In January 2014, Rafaelle was picked in the second round of the 2014 NWSL College Draft by expansion team Houston Dash. After playing one season, she was waived by Houston Dash, but FC Kansas City acquired her rights the following week.[3] In March 2015 Kansas City announced that Rafaelle would not play in the 2015 National Women's Soccer League season as she was in training with her national team Brazil.[4]

Rafaelle signed with Changchun Zhuoyue of the Chinese Women's Super League in 2016, one of three Brazilian players to do so with Raquel and Darlene. Terms of the deals were not released, but in an interview with Globo Esporte, Rafaelle said the pay was considerably more than she could make in Brazil.[5] In 2017, fellow Brazilian national team player Cristiane would join her at Changchun Zhuoyue.[6]

In 2022, Rafaelle joined Arsenal on a free transfer from Changchun Zhuoyue. She was the first Brazilian to play for Arsenal Women.[7]

On 3 July 2023, it was announced that Rafaelle had signed a two-and-a-half year contract with Orlando Pride of the National Women's Soccer League, joining the team following the conclusion of the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup.[8]

International career

Rafaelle played for Brazil's youth teams at the inaugural 2008 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup in New Zealand and the 2010 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup held in Germany. Her senior debut came in December 2011 as a substitute in a 4–0 win over Chile at the 2011 Torneio Internacional Cidade de São Paulo de Futebol Feminino.[9] She started her first match for Brazil's senior team in March 2012, against Canada.[10]

In February 2015, Rafaelle was included in an 18-month residency programme intended to prepare Brazil's national team for the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada and the 2016 Rio Olympics.[11]

At the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup, Rafaelle formed a makeshift center-back partnership with Mônica.[12] They kept clean sheets in all three matches as Brazil qualified from their group without conceding a goal. In the second-round match against Australia, Brazil exited the competition after losing 1–0. Rafaelle remained in Canada as part of the Brazilian selection for the 2015 Pan American Games in Toronto.

Rafaelle captained the Brazilian team to their 4th consecutive win in the 2022 Copa America Feminina.[13]

In June 2023, it was announced that she would captain Brazil in the FIFA Women's World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.[14]

International goals


Goal		 Date Location Opponent # Score Result Competition
1 2015-07-22 Toronto, Canada  Mexico 1.2

2–1

4–2

 2015 Pan American Games
2 2.2

4–2

3 2017-06-10 Fuenlabrada, Spain  Spain 1.1

1–2

1–2

 Friendly game
4 2017-11-25 Ovalle, Chile  Chile 1.1

0–2

0–4

 Friendly game
5 2018-04-07 Coquimbo, Chile  Ecuador 1.1

5–0

8–0

 Copa América 2018
6 2020-11-27 São Paulo, Brazil  Ecuador 1.1

4–0

6–0

 Friendly game
7 2020-12-01 São Paulo, Brazil  Ecuador 1.2

4–0

8–0

 Friendly game
8 2.2

5–0

Honours

Palmeiras[15]

  • Copa Paulista Women: 2021

Arsenal

Brazil[15]

Individual

References

  1. 1 2 "FIFA Women's World Cup Canada 2015 – List of Players: Brazil" (PDF). FIFA. 6 July 2015. p. 2. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 February 2020. Retrieved 23 September 2021.
  2. ↑ "Profile". FIFA.com. Archived from the original on 12 June 2015. Retrieved 23 June 2015.
  3. ↑ "FC Kansas City Lands Rafaelle Souza". National Women's Soccer League. 15 September 2014. Retrieved 19 July 2015.
  4. ↑ Moreno, Daniel (11 March 2015). "Katrina Gorry and Rafaelle Souza to stay with their national teams this season". FC Kansas City. Retrieved 19 July 2015.
  5. ↑ Cíntia Barlem (28 January 2016). "Dinheiro também encanta no feminino, e brasileiras se rendem à China". Globo Esporte. Retrieved 1 July 2017.
  6. ↑ "Cristiane to move to Chinese club Changchun Zhuoyue in June". Associated Press. 13 February 2017. Retrieved 1 July 2017.
  7. ↑ "Rafaelle Souza: Arsenal Women sign Brazilian defender to make it three new signings this January". Sky Sports. Retrieved 6 August 2022.
  8. ↑ orlandocitysc. "Orlando Pride Signs Brazilian National Team Defender Rafaelle Souza | Orlando City". orlandocitysc. Retrieved 3 July 2023.
  9. ↑ Leme de Arruda, Marcelo (5 March 2014). "Seleção Brasileira Feminina (Brazilian National Women's Team) 2011-2013" (in Portuguese). Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 20 June 2015.
  10. ↑ "Souza makes first start with Brazilian National Team". Archived from the original on 10 December 2014. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
  11. ↑ Kennedy, Paul (26 May 2015). "Road to Vancouver: Brazil's Formiga picked for sixth time". Soccer America. Retrieved 11 July 2015.
  12. ↑ Cullen, Ray; Lauletta, Dan (9 June 2015). "Women's World Cup Day 4 – Vero, Spain Debut". The Equalizer. Retrieved 19 July 2015.
  13. ↑ "Rafaelle captains Brazil to Copa America title". Rafaelle captains Brazil to Copa America title. Retrieved 6 August 2022.
  14. ↑ updated, Ryan Dabbs last (6 June 2023). "Brazil Women's World Cup 2023 squad: Full team announced". fourfourtwo.com. Retrieved 3 July 2023.
  15. 1 2 "Rafaelle Souza - Profile". Soccerway. Retrieved 6 March 2023.
  16. ↑ Sanders, Emma (5 March 2023). "Arsenal 3–1 Chelsea: Gunners fight back to win Women's League Cup final". BBC Sport. Retrieved 5 March 2023.
  17. ↑ "Rachel Daly: Aston Villa forward wins PFA women's Player of the Year award". BBC Sport. 29 August 2023. Retrieved 29 August 2023.
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