According to Mundo Deportivo, Barcelona winger Raphinha's standing in the Brazil national team has further increased, and he will wear the captain's armband in the friendly match against Japan.
Barcelona is praying that Raphinha returns healthy after this international break with the national team, while Raphinha himself continues to increase his value. The Barcelona forward has been selected by Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti to captain the "Seleção" in their friendly match against Japan in Singapore this Saturday (kick-off at 11:15 Beijing Time (CET)).
Due to Brazil captain Marquinhos's injury in the previous match against Barcelona, the defender, who has captained Brazil since 2021 and made 112 appearances for the national team, will be absent. Raphinha will wear the captain's armband against Japan. In fact, this is not the first time Raphinha has captained Brazil. He previously served as captain in one of the two friendly matches against Australia.
The coaching staff considered rotating established leaders Bruno Guimaraes, Vinicius Junior, and Gabriel Magalhães, but ultimately chose to continue with the Barcelona player as captain. According to the pre-set internal order, when Raphinha is not on the field, Arsenal midfielder Guimaraes will be responsible for wearing the captain's armband. The decision to make Raphinha, who wears the number 10 jersey, captain is based on his performance within the national team and is also a recognition of his leadership role at Barcelona.