Rafael Gustavo Meneghel Gava
Midfielder · Botafogo SP · №10
Recent matches
| Date | Match | Score |
|---|---|---|
Athletic Club
Botafogo SP
Serie B
|
1:1 | |
Botafogo SP
Novorizontino
Serie B
|
1:3 | |
Nautico Recife
Botafogo SP
Serie B
|
1:0 | |
Botafogo SP
Cuiabá
Serie B
|
1:2 | |
Atlético Goianiense
Botafogo SP
Serie B
|
3:0 | |
Botafogo SP
Criciúma
Serie B
|
1:1 | |
São Bernardo
Botafogo SP
Serie B
|
0:1 | |
Botafogo SP
América Mineiro
Serie B
|
2:1 | |
Fortaleza
Botafogo SP
Serie B
|
1:0 | |
Botafogo SP
Juventude
Serie B
|
4:2 |
Season statistics
| Competition | Season | Games |
|---|---|---|
| Serie B | 2026 | 16 |
About the player
The midfielder never featured for Internacional's senior side after joining in 2014, and instead built his career through loan spells and lower-division stints.
That form earned him a three-year contract with Portuguese side Paços de Ferreira, though he made only 3 league appearances before returning to Brazil on loan to Cuiabá in January 2020 — a move that became permanent by October that year.
Cuiabá is where Gava had his biggest impact. He was part of the squad that secured the club's first-ever promotion to the Série A in 2020, and he went on to win three consecutive Campeonato Mato-Grossense titles, in 2021, 2022 and 2023, across 138 league appearances. Spells at Avaí and Goiás followed before he left as a free agent at the end of his Goiás contract and signed with Botafogo SP for the 2026 season.
Gava has not played for Brazil's senior national team or its official youth sides. He has, however, represented the country at a different level of the sport: in Futsal Down, futsal for athletes with disabilities, with which he won the World Cup in 2024.
Career path
- 2026 — now Botafogo 25 matches
- 2024 — 2025 Goiás EC 69 matches
- 2023 Avaí 30 matches
- 2020 — 2023 Cuiabá Esporte Clube (MT) 98 matches
- 2020 Pacos Ferreira 3 matches
- 2018 — 2019 SER Caxias do Sul (RS) 20 matches
- 2018 Grêmio Esportivo Brasil (RS) 8 matches
- 2015 — 2017 Londrina Esporte Clube (PR) 67 matches
- 2015 CE Lajeadense 2 matches
- 2014 Agremiação Sportiva Arapiraquense (AL) 9 matches
Career
| Season | Club | Competition | Games | Goals | Assists | Minutes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Botafogo | Campeonato Brasileiro Série B | 25 | 2 | 7 | 1 840 |
| 2025 | Goiás EC | Campeonato Brasileiro Série B | 30 | 2 | 4 | 2 047 |
| 2025 | Goiás EC | Copa Verde | 5 | 1 | 0 | 268 |
| 2024 | Goiás EC | Campeonato Brasileiro Série B | 31 | 2 | 5 | 2 094 |
| 2024 | Goiás EC | Copa do Brasil | 3 | 0 | 0 | 161 |
| 2023 | Avaí | Campeonato Brasileiro Série B | 30 | 0 | 2 | 2 426 |
| 2023 | Cuiabá Esporte Clube (MT) | Copa Verde | 4 | 1 | 1 | 138 |
| 2023 | Cuiabá Esporte Clube (MT) | Campeonato Brasileiro Série A | 1 | 0 | 0 | 17 |
| 2022 | Cuiabá Esporte Clube (MT) | Campeonato Brasileiro Série A | 29 | 1 | 2 | 2 056 |
| 2022 | Cuiabá Esporte Clube (MT) | Copa Sudamericana | 5 | 0 | 1 | 338 |
| 2022 | Cuiabá Esporte Clube (MT) | Copa do Brasil | 2 | 0 | 0 | 180 |
| 2021 | Cuiabá Esporte Clube (MT) | Campeonato Brasileiro Série A | 31 | 2 | 5 | 1 710 |
| 2021 | Cuiabá Esporte Clube (MT) | Copa do Brasil | 2 | 0 | 0 | 169 |
| 2020 | Cuiabá Esporte Clube (MT) | Campeonato Brasileiro Série B | 21 | 6 | 3 | 1 473 |
| 2020 | Cuiabá Esporte Clube (MT) | Copa Verde | 3 | 0 | 0 | 270 |
| 2019 | SER Caxias do Sul (RS) | Campeonato Brasileiro Série D | 10 | 3 | 0 | 825 |
| 2018 | SER Caxias do Sul (RS) | Campeonato Brasileiro Série D | 9 | 0 | 0 | 541 |
| 2018 | Grêmio Esportivo Brasil (RS) | Campeonato Brasileiro Série B | 8 | 0 | 1 | 531 |
| 2018 | SER Caxias do Sul (RS) | Copa do Brasil | 1 | 0 | 0 | 90 |
| 2017 | Londrina Esporte Clube (PR) | Campeonato Brasileiro Série B | 13 | 0 | 0 | 609 |
| 2017 | Londrina Esporte Clube (PR) | Primeira Liga do Brasil | 3 | 0 | 0 | 228 |
| 2017 | Londrina Esporte Clube (PR) | Copa do Brasil | 1 | 0 | 0 | 73 |
| 2016 | Londrina Esporte Clube (PR) | Campeonato Brasileiro Série B | 30 | 2 | 3 | 2 167 |
| 2016 | Londrina Esporte Clube (PR) | Copa do Brasil | 2 | 1 | 0 | 135 |
| 2015 | Londrina Esporte Clube (PR) | Campeonato Brasileiro Série C | 18 | 2 | 0 | 1 538 |
| 2015 | CE Lajeadense | Copa do Brasil | 2 | 0 | 0 | 180 |
| 2014 | Agremiação Sportiva Arapiraquense (AL) | Campeonato Brasileiro Série C | 6 | 0 | 0 | 226 |
| 2014 | Agremiação Sportiva Arapiraquense (AL) | Copa do Brasil | 3 | 0 | 0 | 204 |
| 19/20 | Pacos Ferreira | Liga Portugal | 2 | 0 | 0 | 69 |
| 19/20 | Pacos Ferreira | Taça de Portugal | 1 | 0 | 0 | 90 |
| Total | Cuiabá Esporte Clube (MT) | 138 | 15 | 17 | 8 859 | |
| Total | Londrina Esporte Clube (PR) | 93 | 7 | 3 | 6 268 | |
| Total | Goiás EC | 83 | 5 | 9 | 5 482 | |
| Total | SER Caxias do Sul (RS) | 41 | 11 | 0 | 3 186 | |
| Total | Avaí | 40 | 0 | 3 | 2 904 | |
| Total | Botafogo | 32 | 2 | 9 | 2 391 | |
| Total | CE Lajeadense | 15 | 2 | 0 | 1 230 | |
| Total | Agremiação Sportiva Arapiraquense (AL) | 9 | 0 | 0 | 430 | |
| Total | Grêmio Esportivo Brasil (RS) | 8 | 0 | 1 | 531 | |
| Total | Pacos Ferreira | 3 | 0 | 0 | 159 |
Transfers
Transfers- 25/26 Goiás Botafogo-SP
- 23/24 Avaí Goiás
- 22/23 Cuiabá-MT Avaí
- 20/21 Paços Ferreira Cuiabá-MT
- 20/21 Cuiabá-MT Paços Ferreira
- 19/20 Paços Ferreira Cuiabá-MT
- 19/20 Caxias-RS Paços Ferreira
- 18/19 Brasil Pelotas Caxias-RS
- 18/19 Caxias-RS Brasil Pelotas
- 17/18 No Club Caxias-RS
- 17/18 Londrina-PR No Club
- 14/15 Lajeadense Londrina-PR
