Rafael Elias da Silva Bataglia

São Paulo produced him, but it was on loan that Rafael Elias found his feet. After signing for Palmeiras and making his senior debut against São Caetano in the Campeonato Paulista, he spent the following years shuttling between clubs — Atlético Mineiro, Goiás, Cuiabá, Ituano and, further afield, the Emirati side Baniyas. A free transfer to Cruzeiro in July 2023 gave him a fresh audience, and his form there was enough to attract interest from Japan.

He moved to Kyoto Sanga on loan in June 2024, with an option to make the switch permanent. That option was exercised within months: by November, Kyoto Sanga had bought half of his economic rights for around $1.5 million, with Cruzeiro and Palmeiras each retaining a quarter. The number attached to the deal reflected how quickly he had made an impression in the J1 League — in his first season in Japan he scored 11 goals and added an assist in 15 appearances.

At international level, Rafael Elias has stayed within the youth ranks. He won four caps for Brazil's under-20 side between 2018 and 2019, coming on as a substitute against Venezuela and Chile at the South American U-20 Championship and featuring in friendlies against Chile and Argentina, without going on to add a senior appearance.

Known by the nickname Papagaio, he plays as a left-footed centre-forward.