Brazil and Barcelona star Raphinha opens up on motivation, family, and 2026 World Cup pressure

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There are few events in sports as special as the World Cup, where players shed their club badges to represent their countries under the same flag for the common goal of winning the tournament. With the expansion to 48 teams, more get to experience it, but the pressure is still on the old guard. Only eight countries have ever won the tournament, and the most successful nation in World Cup history, Brazil, hasn't lifted the title since 2002, something that Barcelona star Raphinha is well aware of.

Under a new manager in Carlo Ancelotti, Raphinha will be one of the stars expected to push Brazil to their first title in 24 years. In Group C alongside Scotland, Haiti, and Morocco, there will be competition, but it's nothing they won't be ready for, especially with Carlo Ancelotti leading the side.

"We had four trainers during all this time, and each one of them had a different philosophy. And now with Ancelotti, we are very proud to have him because he has a lot of wins, and also because he's a very admirable person, so we are happy with him," Raphinha told CBS Sports.

While this World Cup will be Ancelotti's first foray into international management as a head coach, he's no stranger to high-pressure jobs. He has managed top clubs all over the world during an illustrious career, collecting honors at every stop along the way. Similarly, Raphinha has risen to become an annual Ballon d'Or contender with Barcelona, pushing for honors on all fronts. But when seeking motivation to keep going after achieving so much, love for the badge is critical, and for the Brazilian, so is family.

"My biggest motivation is my eldest son, and I'm always looking for him during [games] and also trying to obtain the best result with FC Barcelona and my national team," Raphinha said. "Yeah, but always keeping him in mind. And I want to play a long time with FC Barcelona and my national team until I'm older, but yeah, that is my biggest motivation."

That family connection is an important aspect for Raphinha, especially considering the hardship that he went through growing up, begging for food while living in a favela, death threats while playing soccer, and more, as he told The Players' Tribune. It has been a long road to get to where he is, including stops in Portugal, France, England, and now Spain, after coming through the Avai youth academy. The importance of family is one of the reasons why he's partnering with  ahead of the World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.