World Cup: Brazil suffer Raphinha injury scare in Haiti win
Injury plagued Brazil’s 3-0 World Cup win over Haiti on Friday after winger Raphinha left before half-time with an apparent muscle problem.
The Barcelona striker appeared uncomfortable in the closing stages of the first half and was treated on the pitch by Brazilian medical staff before being substituted in the 40th minute. AFC Bournemouth teenager Rayan replaced him in just his third senior appearance for the national team.
Television cameras showed a visibly distressed Raphinh sitting on the pitch as he was attended to by medical staff, while team-mate Gabriel Magalhes offered words of encouragement before he left the pitch. The winger appeared to have picked up an injury from the ball, with reports suggesting he may have suffered a muscle strain after he was seen holding the back of his right thigh during discussions with the medical team.
The injury will trouble coach Carlo Ancelotti, who has relied heavily on Raphinha in recent months. The 29-year-old arrives at the World Cup after another productive season with Barcelona, as the Catalan club won La Liga and the Spanish Super Cup, scoring 15 goals and providing five assists.
Raphinha has already endured an injury-hit campaign, dealing with recurring hamstring problems throughout the season. Brazil will now await further medical assessment to determine the severity of the latest setback.
Although they lost one of their key strikers, Brazil is rarely troubled by Haiti. Matheus Cunha scored twice and Vinicius Junior added a third before half-time as the five-time world champions secured their first win of the tournament to move top of Group C with four points.
Brazil are already managing concerns over Neymar’s fitness, with the veteran forward missing his second game in a row as he continues to recover from a calf injury sustained in the final weeks of the club’s season with Santos.
Any extended absence for Raphinha would be another blow to Brazil’s attacking depth ahead of their final group stage game against Scotland, with the team still awaiting an official update on the winger’s status.
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Issued by:
Saurabh Kumar
Published on:
20 Jun 2026 08:54 IST