The ‘Mysterious’ Surgery Raphinha Underwent That Prioritized Brazil Over Barcelona

Barcelona winger Raphinha recently underwent minor ear surgery, and although the procedure didn’t force him to miss any games, the timing of the procedure reportedly created tension with the defending Spanish champions.

Raphinha required surgery on his left ear to remove a cyst that formed after the Brazilian took a blow to the head in early October. The wound caused him significant pain and outside of undergoing frequent abscess draining, surgery was the only other solution.

The 29-year-old went under the knife on Oct. 26, one day after Barcelona fell to Real Madrid. It was the first week in over a month that Barcelona didn’t play a midweek game, so after missing a couple of training sessions while the wound healed, Raphinha was back the next weekend donning a protective headband and scored a brace against Alavés.

But the timing of the surgery is what reportedly caused some tension.

According to Globo Esporte, Raphinha moved up his surgery so he could feature for Brazil during the November international window. Barcelona, meanwhile, wanted him to undergo the procedure during the two-week November international break.

Raphinha prioritized being available for Carlo Ancelotti. Although his decision didn’t lead to a major dispute, it’s not hard to understand why Barcelona would’ve preferred he waited and used the two-week break to recover instead of traveling with the Seleção.

Each of the last three times Raphinha has gone on international duty with Brazil, he’s returned to Catalonia with a fresh injury.

Back in March, Raphinha suffered a hamstring injury during a friendly against France that sidelined him for over a month. That injury was particularly costly as it forced the Brazilian to miss Barcelona’s Champions League quarterfinal tie with Atlético Madrid.

The Catalans needed one goal in the final hour of the second leg that would’ve sent the tie to extra time, but Marcus Rashford and Fermín López wasted clear chances that sealed Barça’s fate—chances Raphinha would’ve likely buried.

Over the summer, Raphinha suffered yet another hamstring injury early in the 2026 World Cup and didn’t feature again for the rest of the tournament. Fortunately for Barcelona, the summer break allowed Raphinha to recover in time for the start of 2026–27.

But after bagging 14 goals in eight games operating as Barça’s new center forward to start the season, history repeated itself during the recent September–October international window. A thigh injury forced Raphinha to miss two games and he didn’t look his best when he returned in the defeats against Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid.

Eventually, injured ear and all, Raphinha returned to top form and bagged four goals in Barça’s most recent three games. Now, though, Hansi Flick will be on edge as Raphinha and Brazil travel to Singapore for a pair of friendlies—games he would’ve likely missed had he not moved up his surgery.

Ever since Ancelotti announced Brazil’s November roster, alarms went off in Barcelona regarding Raphinha’s inclusion.

“He’s a very important player,” Flick said when asked about Raphinha’s inclusion in Ancelotti’s squad. “After the last international break, he arrived injured, it wasn’t the best situation.

“For me, if we can manage his playing time a little, I’ll be happy. Going back and forth to Singapore isn’t ideal. It's not something that’s in my hands and that I can change.”

The significant minutes Raphinha has played for Brazil in recent friendlies angered many in Barcelona, especially because Ancelotti has granted Real Madrid players such as Rodrygo and Vinícius Júnior considerably more rest since the start of his tenure. Still, an agreement has been reportedly put in place for Raphinha’s minutes to be managed in Brazil’s coming games.

“The two parties are coordinating to manage his minutes so that Raphinha returns in peak condition and the risk of a fourth consecutive injury while representing his country is minimized,” Globo Esporte reported, via AS.

Raphinha himself assured Barcelona fans “shouldn’t worry” about his fitness when he recently inked a two-year contract renewal. Still, the Catalans will be keeping a watchful eye on him over the next week, hoping history doesn’t repeat itself for the fourth time this year.