Rafael Fernandes (footballer)

Rafael Fernandes
Personal information
Full name	Rafael Tavares Gomes Fernandes
Date of birth	28 June 2002 (age 22)
Height	1.91 m (6 ft 3 in)
Position(s)	Centre-back
Team information
Current team	Rangers
Number	28
Youth career
2010–2021	Sporting CP
Senior career*
Years	Team
2021–2022	Sporting CP B
2022–2024	Arouca
2024–	Lille
2024–	Lille II
2025–	→ Rangers (loan)
International career‡
2019–2020	Portugal U18
2021–2022	Portugal U20
	*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 7 December 2024; ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 23:04, 14 November 2023 (UTC)

Rafael Tavares Gomes Fernandes (born 28 June 2002) is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Scottish Premiership club Rangers on loan from French side Lille.

Professional career

Sporting CP

A youth product of Sporting CP since 2010, he started playing with their reserves in the 2021-22 season.^[1]

Arouca

On 11 July 2022, he transferred to Arouca in the Primeira Liga signing a three-year contract.^[2] He made his professional debut as a half-time substitute in a 4–0 Primeira Liga loss to Benfica on 5 August 2022.^[3]

Lille

On 31 January 2024, Fernandes moved to Ligue 1 side Lille, signing a four-and-a-half-year contract.^[4] The French club paid a reported €3 million transfer fee.^[5]

Loan to Rangers

On 18 January 2025, Fernandes signed for Scottish Premiership side Rangers on loan.^[6]

International career

Fernandes is a youth international for Portugal, having played for the Portugal U18s and U20s.^[7]

References

^ "Lugar a Rafael Fernandes na ausência de Coates na defesa do Sporting". www.record.pt.
^ "Rafael Fernandes blindado pelo Arouca por 10 M€". www.record.pt.
^ "Águias vencem o primeiro jogo do campeonato com goleada frente ao Arouca". www.cmjornal.pt.
^ "Le défenseur portugais, Rafael Fernandes, est Lillois" [The Portuguese defender, Rafael Fernandes, is of Lille] (in French). Lille OSC. 31 January 2024. Retrieved 31 January 2024.
^ "Oficial: Rafael Fernandes deixa Arouca e assina pelo Lille até 2028" [Official: Rafael Fernandes leaves Arouca and signs for Lille until 2028]. Record (in Portuguese). 31 January 2024. Retrieved 31 January 2024.
^ "Rangers Sign Rafael Fernandes on Loan". Rangers FC. 18 January 2025. Retrieved 18 January 2025.
^ "Internacional sub-20 Rafael Fernandes deixa Sporting e reforça Arouca". 11 July 2022.

External links

Rafael Fernandes at Soccerway
Rafael Fernandes national team profile at the Portuguese Football Federation (in Portuguese)

This biographical article relating to Portuguese football is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

[1] "Lugar a Rafael Fernandes na ausência de Coates na defesa do Sporting". www.record.pt.

[2] "Rafael Fernandes blindado pelo Arouca por 10 M€". www.record.pt.

[3] "Águias vencem o primeiro jogo do campeonato com goleada frente ao Arouca". www.cmjornal.pt.

[4] "Le défenseur portugais, Rafael Fernandes, est Lillois" [The Portuguese defender, Rafael Fernandes, is of Lille] (in French). Lille OSC. 31 January 2024. Retrieved 31 January 2024.

[5] "Oficial: Rafael Fernandes deixa Arouca e assina pelo Lille até 2028" [Official: Rafael Fernandes leaves Arouca and signs for Lille until 2028]. Record (in Portuguese). 31 January 2024. Retrieved 31 January 2024.

[6] "Rangers Sign Rafael Fernandes on Loan". Rangers FC. 18 January 2025. Retrieved 18 January 2025.

[7] "Internacional sub-20 Rafael Fernandes deixa Sporting e reforça Arouca". 11 July 2022.

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