How Raphinha's latest transformation made him into Barcelona's star striker - ESPN

Raphinha's career has been characterized by constant change — first, as he hopped between clubs in Brazil, Portugal, France, England and Spain. Recently, after settling in at Barcelona since 2022, the change has come in a different way: through coaches and his positioning on the pitch.

The Brazil international joined Xavi Hernández's Barça from Leeds United as a right winger, went on to excel on the left flank under Hansi Flick and is now delivering world-class performances this season as a No. 9, scoring 14 goals in 10 games going into Sunday's Clásico against Real Madrid (watch live at 4 p.m. ET on ABC and ESPN+).

It's perhaps no surprise to see him fulfilling so many different roles. Victor Orta, the sporting director who signed him for Leeds back in 2020, even imagined him playing in other positions.

— Yamal vs. Mbappé: Who has the stronger claim to win the Ballon d'Or?
— Mourinho made Madrid-Barça rivalry unmissable. Now, he's back for more
— It's El Clásico time! All you need to know about club soccer's biggest game

«I remember one day watching Vitória de Guimarães and thinking he could play as a wingback,» Orta tells ESPN. «He had a different style to the typical, technical Brazilian. I said, 'Wow, he looks like he could run the 400 meters in athletics.'»

Raphinha will be 30 in December, and his path to the top of the game has not always been obvious. The 7-year-old who attended Ronaldinho's birthday party was not among the many Brazilian teenagers catapulted straight to one of Europe's elite clubs.

Instead, after fighting his way through várzea tournaments in his homeland — dubbed by Raphinha himself as "the home of the rejects" — he landed in Portugal with Vitória, going on to play for Sporting CP and then to