Raphinha‘s journey to the world-class echelon of football has been anything but conventional. From dragging Leeds United to survival on the final day to tearing apart defences in the Champions League with Barcelona, his meteoric rise to the top has been fascinating to see.
But it’s not just his goals or assists that have caught the eye. In recent years, one powerful moment has left fans intrigued. As his teammates wheel off to celebrate the success of the season, Raphinha is often spotted gradually crawling across the pitch on his knees instead. It has raised eyebrows for many, but there is a very good reason behind it.
Raphinha’s End Of Season Ritual Explained
The ex-Leeds man gives thanks to God after success
Barcelona enjoyed a memorable domestic treble in the 2024/25 season, which was partly thanks to Raphinha, who stunned all of Europe with his remarkable individual season.
After lifting the silverware, the Brazil international was seen covering the length of the Montruijc pitch on his knees:
It’s not the first occasion of Raphinha making this gesture as a Barcelona player – he was previously seen carrying out a similar act with the flag of Brazil wrapped around his shoulders after the Catalonian outfit won the 2022/23 La Liga title.
Leeds fans will have noticed this as being quite familiar, as Raphinha did a similar thing in 2022 after he helped the Whites to relegation safety with victory on the final day of the Premier League season.
Per ITV, it is a ritual in South America to repay God for granting a wish. At Leeds, this took the form of avoiding relegation, while at Barcelona, it was the silverware – Raphinha has continued with this tradition to honour such promises.
Barcelona coughed up a significant fee to bring Raphinha to the Nou Camp, making the winger one of their most expensive signings ever. Speaking to Marca following his move, he was adamant he would repeat the crawl in some form at his new club, hinting at future success to come, and it looks as though that has played out quite nicely in his favour.
“I’ll do it again, like I did with Leeds,
“I’ll walk the Camp Nou on my knees, or wherever.”
| Raphinha Career Statistics | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Team | Appearances | Goals |
| 2016-2018 | Vitoria Guimaraes | 65 | 19 |
| 2018-2019 | Sporting | 28 | 6 |
| 2019-2020 | Rennes | 28 | 6 |
| 2020-2022 | Leeds United | 65 | 17 |
| 2022- | Barcelona | 98 | 31 |
Barcelona have spent an eye-watering amount of money on players, but only a handful have gone on to be a success.
