Raphinha Faces Injury, Family Rift and Money Rumors During Brazil's World Cup Run

Brazil has already secured first place in its 2026 World Cup group, but Raphinha is dealing with a storm off the field as well as a hamstring injury from the 3-0 win over Haiti. The Barcelona winger is racing to be fit for the knockout stage while Portuguese-language media in Brazil continue to circulate allegations of a major financial and family dispute.

The controversy began with claims that Raphinha discovered his father, Rafael Belloli, had managed and allegedly deceived him for years. The most explosive version says the problems date back to his 2022 move from Leeds United to Barcelona, a deal reported at about £49 million, or 310 million Brazilian reais at the time. According to those reports, Belloli arranged image-rights and advertising contracts that sent 80% of that income to himself and only 20% to Raphinha.

The story escalated when Raphinha and his wife, Natalia, tried to buy a luxury estate in Barcelona for 10 million euros, or about 56 million reais, and were told by banks that the image-rights accounts were empty. Natalia responded publicly, denying the rumors of bankruptcy and insisting the family was still wealthy. She said,