Rafa Mújica

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Mujica and the second or maternal family name is García.
Rafa Mujica
Personal information
Full name Rafael Sebastián Mujica García
Date of birth (1998-10-29) 29 October 1998 (age 26)
Place of birth Las Palmas, Spain
Height 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Position(s) Forward, winger
Team information
Current team
 Al Sadd
Number 19
Youth career
Las Palmas
2015–2017 Barcelona
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2016–2019 Barcelona B 60 (10)
2018 → Cornellà (loan) 16 (6)
2019–2021 Leeds United 0 (0)
2019–2020 → Extremadura (loan) 7 (0)
2020 → Villarreal B (loan) 4 (3)
2020–2021 → Oviedo (loan) 4 (0)
2021 → Las Palmas (loan) 13 (1)
2021–2022 Las Palmas 14 (1)
2022–2024 Arouca 57 (28)
2024– Al Sadd 5 (5)
International career
2016 Spain U19 2 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 14:30, 21 September 2024 (UTC)

Rafael Sebastián Mujica García (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈrafa ˈmuxika]; born 29 October 1998) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays for Qatari club Al Sadd. Mainly a forward, he can also play as a winger.

He represented Spain at under-19 level.

Club career

Barcelona

Born in Las Palmas, Canary Islands, Mújica joined Barcelona's youth setup on 19 May 2015, from Las Palmas.[1][2] On 26 March 2016, aged only 17, he made his senior debut with the reserves by coming on as a late substitute for Juan Cámara in a 2–0 Segunda División B away win against Llosetense.[3]

Mujica scored his first senior goal on 9 April 2016, netting his team's only strike in a 1–3 home loss against Sabadell.[4] He played for the first team during the 2016–17 pre-season under manager Luis Enrique, including scoring against English side Leicester City in a 4–2 victory during a pre-season friendly on 4 August.[5][6]

In February 2017, Mujica suffered a hamstring rupture which required surgery, which hampered his progress,[7] keeping him sidelined for nine-and-a-half months and missing out the club's promotion in the play-offs.[8] He made his professional debut on 6 January 2018, replacing Vitinho in a 1–1 away draw against Real Zaragoza in the Segunda División.[9]

On 31 January 2018, Mujica was loaned to Cornellà in the third division, until June.[10] He contributed with six goals in 16 matches for the side; highlights included scoring in the season's Copa Catalunya final in a 3–2 victory against UA Horta on 2 June, to help the club lift the trophy for the first time.[11]

After his loan spell, Mujica returned to Barcelona, training with the first team during the summer of 2018. He returned to the B-team for the 2018–19 season, and played 33 games for the side scoring seven goals and providing one assist in Segunda División B during the season.[12]

In January 2019, Mujica was also named by manager Ernesto Valverde in Barcelona's first team squad for the Copa del Rey fixture against Levante.[13][14] On 27 June, Mújica announced on his official Twitter page he would be leaving Barcelona,[15] and the club officially released him when his contract expired three days later.[16]

Leeds United

On 4 July 2019, Leeds United announced the signing of Mujica on a three-year contract, running until the summer of 2022. He would initially be part of Carlos Corberán's under-23 team.[17] A few days later, he played in the first team under manager Marcelo Bielsa in the club's first pre-season friendly, as a second-half substitute against York City in a 5–0 win.[18]

On 23 August 2019, Mujica joined Extremadura in the Spanish Segunda División on a one-year loan deal,[19] with the option to buy.[20] He made his debut for the club on 1 September, in a 2–1 loss against Cadiz,[21] but returned to his parent club early in January 2020, having made just seven league appearances for Extremadura.[22][23]

On 24 January 2020, Mujica joined Villarreal on loan until the end of the season,[22] being assigned to the B-team.[24] On 26 August, he moved to second division club Real Oviedo on a season-long loan.[25]

Las Palmas

On 1 February 2021, after leaving Oviedo early, Mujica joined his hometown club Las Palmas on loan until the end of the second-tier season.[26] On 2 July, the move was made permanent for an undisclosed fee.[27]

Arouca

On 21 June 2022, Mujica moved to Portuguese Primeira Liga side Arouca on a two-year deal.[28] This is when Rafa Mujica played his best football scoring 28 goals in 57 games for the club and winning an Forward Of The League award.

Al Sadd

On 30 May 2024, it was announced Mújica would join Qatari club Al Sadd SC at the opening of the transfer window on 1 July 2024, costing a fee of €10 million, and signing a four-year contract.[29][30][31]

International career

He has represented Spain at international level up to under-19s.

Career statistics

As of match played 22 September 2024[23]
Club Season League National cup[a] League cup[b] Continental Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Barcelona B 2015–16 Segunda División B 6 1 — — — 6 1
2016–17 18 2 — — — 18 2
2017–18 Segunda División 3 0 — — — 3 0
2018–19 Segunda División B 33 7 — — — 33 7
Total 60 10 — — — 60 10
Cornellà (loan) 2017–18 Segunda División B 16 6 — — — 16 6
Leeds United U21 2019–20 — 0 0 — — — 0 0
Extremadura (loan) 2019–20 Segunda División 7 0 1 0 — — 8 0
Villarreal B (loan) 2019–20 Segunda División B 7 4 — — — 7 4
Real Oviedo (loan) 2020–21 Segunda División 4 0 1 2 — — 5 2
Las Palmas (loan) 2020–21 Segunda División 13 1 — — — 13 1
Las Palmas 2021–22 Segunda División 16 1 1 0 — — 17 1
Total 29 2 1 0 — — 30 2
Arouca 2022–23 Primeira Liga 27 8 1 3 4 3 — 32 14
2023–24 30 20 3 1 2 1 2[c] 1 36 23
Total 57 28 4 4 6 4 2 1 68 37
Al Sadd 2024–25 Qatar Stars League 5 5 0 0 0 0 1[d] 0 6 5
Career total 185 55 6 6 6 4 3 1 200 64
  1. ^ Includes Copa del Rey, Taça de Portugal
  2. ^ Includes Taça da Liga
  3. ^ Appearances in UEFA Europa Conference League
  4. ^ Appearance in AFC Champions League

Honours

Barcelona
Barcelona B
UE Cornellà
Individual

References

  1. ^ "Rafael Mujica, nuevo fichaje del FC Barcelona para el Juvenil" [Rafael Mujica, new signing of FC Barcelona for the youth squad] (in Spanish). Mundo Deportivo. 19 May 2015. Retrieved 13 January 2018.
  2. ^ "Barcelona sign Spanish starlet Rafa Mujica – despite transfer embargo until January 2016". Daily Mirror. 19 May 2015. Retrieved 3 July 2019.
  3. ^ "CD Llosetense v FC Barcelona B: Back to winning ways (0–2)". FC Barcelona. 26 March 2016. Retrieved 13 January 2018.
  4. ^ "FC Barcelona B v CE Sabadell: Second half dismay (1–3)". FC Barcelona. 9 April 2016. Retrieved 13 January 2018.
  5. ^ "The happiest goal of Rafa Mujica". FC Barcelona. 5 August 2016. Retrieved 5 August 2016.
  6. ^ "Barcelona 4 Leicester City 2". Sky Sports. 4 August 2016. Retrieved 27 June 2019.
  7. ^ "Rafa Mujica, seis semanas KO" [Rafa Mújica, six weeks out] (in Spanish). Vavel. 24 February 2017. Retrieved 13 January 2018.
  8. ^ "Rafa Mujica (Barça B) recibe el alta tras 9 meses y medio de baja" [Rafa Mujica (Barça B) is declared fit to play after 9 and a half months sidelined] (in Spanish). Mundo Deportivo. 4 December 2017. Retrieved 13 January 2018.
  9. ^ "El Zaragoza y Barça B no salen a flote en La Romareda" [Zaragoza and Barça B do not come afloat at the La Romareda] (in Spanish). Marca. 6 January 2018. Retrieved 13 January 2018.
  10. ^ "Anthony Lozano, Wilfrid Kaptoum and Rafa Mujica leave Barcelona B". Barca Blaugrane. 31 January 2018. Retrieved 27 June 2019.
  11. ^ "El Cornellà fa història i conquereix la Copa Catalunya absoluta" [Cornellà make history and conquer the senior Copa Catalunya] (in Catalan). Catalan Football Federation. 2 June 2018. Retrieved 3 July 2019.
  12. ^ "Barcelona B forward close to joining Bielsa's Leeds". Marca. 13 May 2019. Retrieved 27 June 2019.
  13. ^ "Focus back on Copa del Rey". FC Barcelona. 15 January 2019. Retrieved 27 June 2019.
  14. ^ "Ernesto Valverde insists Barcelona didn't field ineligible player in Copa del Rey". The Independent. 18 January 2019. Retrieved 27 June 2019.
  15. ^ "Rafa Mújica". Rafa Mújica Official Twitter. 27 June 2019. Retrieved 27 June 2019.
  16. ^ "Jokin Ezkieta, Mate, Mujica and Merveil will not continue next season at Barça B". FC Barcelona. 30 June 2019. Retrieved 1 July 2019.
  17. ^ "Rafa Mujica joins Leeds United". Leeds United. 4 July 2019. Retrieved 4 July 2019.
  18. ^ "Report: York City 0–5 Leeds United". Leeds United. 10 July 2019. Retrieved 13 July 2019.
  19. ^ "Rafa Mujica makes loan move". Leeds United. 23 August 2019. Retrieved 23 August 2019.
  20. ^ "Rafa Mujica, nueva incorporación Azulgrana" [Rafa Mujica, new Azulgrana signing]. Extremadura UD. 23 August 2019. Archived from the original on 27 August 2019. Retrieved 23 August 2019.
  21. ^ "Así hemos narrado el Cádiz-Extremadura" [How we narrated Cádiz-Extremadura]. Hoy (in Spanish). 1 September 2019. Retrieved 4 September 2019.
  22. ^ a b "Rafa Mujica joins Villarreal on loan until end of the season". www.leedsunited.com. 24 January 2020. Retrieved 24 January 2020.
  23. ^ a b Rafa Mújica at Soccerway
  24. ^ "Villarreal B winter transfer movements". Villarreal CF. 1 February 2020. Retrieved 19 February 2020.
  25. ^ Sobot, Lee (26 August 2020). "Young Leeds United forward heads for season-long loan in Spain". Yorkshire Evening Post. Retrieved 26 August 2020.
  26. ^ "Rafa Mújica, nuevo jugador de la UD Las Palmas" [Rafa Mujica, new UD Las Palmas player]. UD Las Palmas. 1 February 2021. Retrieved 1 February 2021.
  27. ^ "Rafa Mujica joins UD Las Palmas". Leeds United. 2 July 2021. Retrieved 2 July 2021.
  28. ^ "Rafa Mujica, com passagem pelo Barcelona, é o segundo reforço do Arouca" [Rafa Mujica, with a stint at Barcelona, is the second addition of Arouca] (in Portuguese). O Jogo. 21 June 2022. Retrieved 8 August 2022.
  29. ^ "Al-Sadd sign Rafa Mujica on four-year deal". Al Sadd SC. 30 May 2024.
  30. ^ "Leeds United set to receive financial boost as ex-player poised to make €10m transfer". Football League World. 14 May 2024.
  31. ^ "Al Sadd sign Spanish forward Rafa Mujica". AFC. 30 May 2024.
  32. ^ "Chelsea 0–3 Barcelona". UEFA.com. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
  33. ^ "Jota Silva fecha o 'Onze do Ano' da Primeira Liga". Sapo Desporto (in Portuguese). 13 June 2024. Retrieved 14 June 2024.