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Raphinha and Pregnant Fiancée Forced to Stay on Parked Plane for Hours Amidst Travel Nightmare

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Raphinha recently shared details about his travel nightmare. The Brazilian soccer star went to Instagram to reveal that he dealt with delays on TAP Air Portugal due to some lost luggage. Raphinha and his pregnant fiancée were forced to stay on a plane for hours, leading to him arriving late for training with his club FC Barcelona.

“I would like to thank TAP for leaving us on the plane for more than an hour,” Raphinha said, per The Sun. “And now they inform us that we are going to be sitting on the plane for another hour without being able to get out, so it’s been two hours on a stopped plane. Detail: many people had a layover and could not have lunch, I’m one of those people, and they said they’re not going to give us lunch or anything. What a beautiful lack of respect on TAP. Thank you, TAP once again, besides delaying a flight for three hours (sitting inside the plane). They managed to lose two bags.”

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Raphinha and his fiancée announced they are having a baby on Wednesday. In the caption of the Instagram post, Raphinha wrote, “The realization of another dream in our lives.” This news comes after Raphinha and Brazil lost to Croatia in the World Cup quarterfinals. He is now back with his club team but has not had much success with Barcelona, managing just two goals and four assists in 18 appearances. In July, Raphinha signed a five-year contract with Barcelona after spending the last two seasons with Leeds United. 

“I hope I can achieve half of what my idols accomplished here,” he said, per The Sun. “It’s a dream come true for me and my family. I’m going to do my best to help this club win (trophies).” Raphinha made his Brazil debut in 2021 and has scored five goals in 16 appearances. He played in his first World Cup this year and scored no goals in five matches. 

In an interview with UOL Esporte via Marca, Raphinha talked about his tough upbringing in Brazil. “For someone born in a neighborhood like me, it’s hard to stay focused, he said, per Daily Mail. ‘I’m from Restinga (a neighborhood in Porto Alegre). It’s hard to follow your path and not go astray. Opportunities appear, and there are many. They promise an easier way to earn money. And that’s where people get lost. I never got out of the way, but I was a witness, I walked alongside people who were getting lost. I lost many friends in the world of crime, in drug trafficking… Friends who played ten times better than me and who could have been in a great soccer club in the world.”