Rafaela Mendonça

Goalkeeper • Age 19 • #30

Rafaela Raposo Silva Mendonça is a Portuguese footballer who plays as a goalkeeper. She has represented Portugal at youth level.

Photo: Instagram | Rafaela Mendonça

Fun Facts about Rafaela

Discover more than stats. Get more of who she is.

Rafaela didn't start out as a goalkeeper. She initially played further up the pitch before volunteering to go in goal when her team needed someone between the posts.

One of her earliest football memories is scoring a goal as a child and celebrating it by copying Gareth Bale's heart celebration. Her mother still has the video.

Rafaela began her journey at Algueirão playing alongside boys, and some parents questioned whether a girl should be taking their sons' place in the team.

The 2014 World Cup helped spark her love of football, an interest she says has stayed with her ever since.

Her goalkeeper inspirations have included Hope Solo, Inês Pereira, Mary Earps, Patrícia Morais and Rui Patrício.

She also has a particular admiration for Lucy Bronze, whose style and competitive edge caught her attention.

Her pre-match routine includes one very distinctive tradition. After the team photo, she heads towards her goal, jumps, touches the crossbar and finishes with a Spider-Man pose.

Moving to Paris was her first experience living alone, and she joked that one of adulthood's new pleasures was finishing the housework and enjoying the smell of a freshly cleaned home.