Rafa reaches 300 official matches

RAFA: 300 MATCHES

Rafa provided two assists and scored a goal in Benfica's 3-0 win over Famalicão, in the match where, on the night of December 29, 2023, he reached the historic milestone of 300 official games with an eagle on his chest. To BPlay, his teammates were complimentary and applauded the 27-year-old's journey.

João Mário saw what Rafa did on matchday 15 of the Liga Betclic in style and praised his "perseverance". "Congratulations, Rafinha! Three hundred games for this great club isn't easy, only a player like you, with your perseverance, your quality and your judgment... I'd like to congratulate you! It's a pride to share and to have played a few games with you too, I hope to play many more. A hug from your friend João Mário," he told BPlay.

Guedes, Aursnes e Chiquinho precisely highlight Rafa's human condition as one of the secrets behind his success. "Rafinha, I congratulate you on 300 games as an eagle. You deserve a lot, for the person you are, for the personality you have. A big hug from your friend," Guedes said, while Aursnes stressed: "To play 300 games for Benfica... Of course it's fantastic! It's incredible for me! I want to congratulate you on 300 games. You're fantastic, as a player and as a person. Thank you for sharing the locker room and the pitch!" Chiquinho added and asked for more: "Rafinha, my dear... Congratulations on your 300 games. I'm proud to share the pitch and my personal life with you. You're a special human being, keep being that fantastic person and keep brightening up our days! Thank you for everything, my dear."

Words of gratitude were also expressed by António Silva. "Congratulations, Rafa! I know this milestone means a lot to you, 300 games at a club you love so much. Thank you for everything you've done for our club!"

Morato and João Neves also joined the tribute, recognizing the magnitude of the milestone. "Hello, Rafa. That's 300 games, a spectacular number!" said the young midfielder, while the Brazilian central midfielder wished him another 300: "Congratulations, Rafael Alexandre, on your 300 games in the Benfica jersey. And may 300 more come. We're together!"

The 300 games are an accumulation of matches in the Championship (191), the Champions League (48), the Europa League (15), the Portuguese Cup (25), the League Cup (18) and the Cândido de Oliveira Super Cup (3). During this journey, he scored 81 goals for Benfica: 55 in the league, 13 in the Champions League, 3 in the Europa League, 7 in the Portuguese Cup, 2 in the League Cup and 1 in the Cândido de Oliveira Super Cup.

Present at countless team feats, Rafa won 7 titles for Benfica: 3 Championships, 1 Portuguese Cup and 3 Cândido de Oliveira Super Cups.

Signed in 2016, the forward made his debut against Arouca on September 9 of the same year, precisely at the ground of Roger Schmidt's team's next opponent in the league. His first goal was scored at Estádio da Luz in the 4-0 win against Tondela on January 22, 2017.