{{short description|Portuguese footballer}} {{Use dmy dates|date=September 2024}} {{Infobox football biography | name = Rafael Rodrigues | image = | fullname = Rafael Vela Rodrigues | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|2002|1|27|df=y}} | birth_place = Oliveira do Bairro, Portugal | height = 1.81 m | position = Left-back | currentclub = Al Ain<br/>(on loan from Benfica B) | clubnumber = 2 | youthyears1 = 2010–2014 | youthclubs1 = CB Estarreja | youthyears2 = 2014–2022 | youthclubs2 = Benfica | years1 = 2021– | clubs1 = Benfica B | caps1 = 76 | goals1 = 1 | years2 = 2024–2025 | clubs2 = → AVS (loan) | caps2 = 21 | goals2 = 1 | years3 = 2025– | clubs3 = → Al Ain (loan) | caps3 = 16 | goals3 = 0 | nationalyears1 = 2017–2018 | nationalteam1 = Portugal U16 | nationalcaps1 = 6 | nationalgoals1 = 0 | nationalyears2 = 2018–2019 | nationalteam2 = Portugal U17 | nationalcaps2 = 6 | nationalgoals2 = 0 | nationalyears3 = 2020 | nationalteam3 = Portugal U18 | nationalcaps3 = 3 | nationalgoals3 = 0 | nationalyears4 = 2020 | nationalteam4 = Portugal U19 | nationalcaps4 = 1 | nationalgoals4 = 0 | nationalyears5 = 2021–2022 | nationalteam5 = Portugal U20 | nationalcaps5 = 9 | nationalgoals5 = 0 | nationalyears6 = 2022– | nationalteam6 = Portugal U21 | nationalcaps6 = 6 | nationalgoals6 = 0 | club-update = 16 March 2026 | nationalteam-update = 18:34, 20 November 2023 (UTC) }} '''Rafael Vela Rodrigues''' (born 27 January 2002) is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays as a left-back for Al Ain on loan from Benfica B.

==International career== Rodrigues has represented Portugal at youth international level.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.fpf.pt/pt/Jogadores/Jogador/playerId/765720|title=Rafael Rodrigues|accessdate=10 August 2021|website=fpf.pt|language=Portuguese}}</ref>

==Career statistics==

===Club=== {{updated|match played 8 October 2023}}<ref>{{Soccerway|rafael-vela-rodrigues/574965}}</ref><ref>{{ForaDeJogo|200201270001}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center" |+Appearances and goals by club, season and competition |- ! rowspan="2" |Club ! rowspan="2" |Season ! colspan="3" |League ! colspan="2" |National cup ! colspan="2" |League cup ! colspan="2" |Total |- !Division !Apps !Goals !Apps !Goals !Apps !Goals !Apps !Goals |- | rowspan="5" |Benfica B |2020–21 |Liga Portugal 2 |1||0|| colspan="2" |—|| colspan="2" |—||1||0 |- |2021–22 |Liga Portugal 2 |16||0|| colspan="2" |—|| colspan="2" |—||16||0 |- |2022–23 |Liga Portugal 2 |31 |0 | colspan="2" |— | colspan="2" |— |31 |0 |- |2023–24 |Liga Portugal 2 |6 |0 | colspan="2" |— | colspan="2" |— |6 |0 |- ! colspan="2" |Total !54 !0 ! colspan="2" |— ! colspan="2" |— !54 !0 |- ! colspan="3" |Career total !54!!0!!0!!0!!0!!0!!54!!0 |} ;

==Honours== '''Benfica''' * UEFA Youth League: 2021–22<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20220426135322/https://www.abola.pt/clubes/2022-04-26/benfica-conheca-os-24-herois-da-youth-league/938266/40 Conheça os 24 heróis da Youth League (Benfica)]</ref> *Under-20 Intercontinental Cup: 2022<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.slbenfica.pt/pt-pt/agora/noticias/2022/08/21/direto-futebol-sub-20-penarol-benfica-taca-intercontinental-final-jogo |title= Sub-20: a Taça Intercontinental é nossa!|date=21 August 2022|language=pt|publisher=S.L. Benfica|access-date=25 August 2022}}</ref>

'''Al Ain''' *UAE Pro League: 2025–26<ref>{{cite web |title=Rafael Rodrigues je osvojil naslov, po študiji CIES je drugi najbolje ocenjeni igralec lige |url=https://www.nogomania.com/Novica/Rafael-Rodrigues-je-osvojil-naslov-po-studiji-CIES-je-drugi-najbolje-ocenjeni-igralec-lige |publisher=Nogomania |access-date=7 May 2026 |language=sl |date=7 May 2026}}</ref> *UAE President's Cup: 2025–26

==References== {{reflist}}

{{Al Ain FC squad}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rodrigues, Rafael}} Category:2002 births Category:Living people Category:People from Oliveira do Bairro Category:Footballers from Aveiro District Category:21st-century Portuguese sportsmen Category:Portuguese men's footballers Category:Men's association football full-backs Category:Liga Portugal 2 players Category:UAE Pro League players Category:S.L. Benfica B players Category:AVS Futebol SAD players Category:Al Ain FC players Category:Portuguese expatriate men's footballers Category:Portuguese expatriate sportspeople in the United Arab Emirates Category:Expatriate men's footballers in the United Arab Emirates

{{Portugal-footy-defender-stub}} Category:Portugal men's under-21 international footballers Category:Portugal men's youth international footballers