FC Barcelona midfielder Rafinha Alcántara is getting a bit of the spotlight while with the Brazil national team, currently in the United States to train for Saturday's friendly with Costa Rica, to be played at the Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey. The game kicks off at 4.00pm ET/10.00pm CET.
This is the first time Rafinha has been summoned to play for Brazil. “My dream is coming true," he said in an interview published in Portuguese on the Brazilian Football Confederation website.
In the sit-down, Rafinha stressed the importance of forming part of La Masia: "I've been in Barcelona since I was 13 years old and I've risen through all the categories of the youth academy, where the system of play is standardised. It has really allowed me to evolve, to learn a lot."
"The tactical side of football is very important in Spain," he added.
Alongside Neymar
Rafinha is expected to debut with Brazil on Saturday. His Barça teammate Neymar Jr will be there as well. "It's great to have Neymar by my side for my first call-up. I'm having a lot of fun with my new teammates," he concluded.
