Rafa Mir

Rafa Mir
Mir with Elche in 2025
Personal information
Full name Rafael Mir Vicente[1]
Date of birth (1997-06-18) 18 June 1997
Place of birth Cartagena, Spain
Height 1.92 m (6 ft 4 in)[2]
Position Forward
Team information
Current team
 Aris
(on loan from Sevilla)
Number 17
Youth career
2004–2006 Javalí Nuevo
2006–2007 ElPozo Murcia
2007–2009 Ranero
2009–2011 Barcelona
2011–2012 Murcia
2012–2015 Valencia
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2015–2018 Valencia B 60 (25)
2015–2018 Valencia 2 (0)
2018–2021 Wolverhampton Wanderers 2 (0)
2018–2019 → Las Palmas (loan) 30 (7)
2019–2020 → Nottingham Forest (loan) 11 (0)
2020–2021 → Huesca (loan) 56 (22)
2021– Sevilla 75 (18)
2024–2025 → Valencia (loan) 20 (1)
2025–2026 → Elche (loan) 27 (8)
2026– → Aris (loan) 1 (0)
International career
2018–2019 Spain U21 10 (5)
2021 Spain U23 7 (3)
Medal record
Men's football
Representing  Spain
UEFA European Under-21 Championship
Winner2019 ItalyTeam
Summer Olympics
Silver medal – second place2020 TokyoTeam
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 23 August 2026

Rafael "Rafa" Mir Vicente (born 18 June 1997) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a forward for Greek Super League club Aris, on loan from La Liga club Sevilla.

Starting his career at Valencia, where he was primarily a reserve, Mir also represented Huesca, Sevilla and Elche in La Liga, recording league totals of 162 games and 40 goals. He won the Segunda División with Huesca in 2019–20, and the UEFA Europa League with Sevilla in 2022–23. Abroad, he played in the EFL Championship for Wolverhampton Wanderers and Nottingham Forest.

Mir won the 2019 European Championship with the Spain national under-21 football team, and a silver medal with the Olympic team at the 2020 tournament.

Club career

Early career

Mir was born in Cartagena and raised in Javalí Nuevo, a village belonging to Murcia, also in the Region of Murcia.[3] He began his career playing futsal with CD Javalí Nuevo. After a 120-goal spell at ElPozo Murcia FS he began playing full football with Ranero CF, scoring 57 and 84 goals in his respective seasons before joining FC Barcelona.[4]

Mir's 32 goals at La Masia earned him a return to his native region and Real Murcia, where a 45-goal haul led to the attention of Valencia CF.[4]

Valencia

Mir made his senior debut for Valencia's reserves on 1 March 2015, as an 88th-minute substitute for Wilfried Zahibo in a 2–1 Segunda División B loss at CE L'Hospitalet. Hescored his first senior goal six days later, in a 2–0 win over CF Badalona at the Ciudad Deportiva de Paterna.[5] He finished the campaign with four appearances, as his side narrowly avoided relegation.

The following season, in the UEFA Youth League, Mir scored consecutive braces in victories over Gent.[6][7] On 14 November 2015, he was given his first start for the B-side, playing the full 90 minutes in a 4–2 loss at another reserve team, Villarreal CF B.[8]

On 20 November 2015, Mir was called up to the main squad by manager Nuno Espírito Santo for a La Liga game against UD Las Palmas;[9] he was an unused substitute in the 1–1 draw at the Mestalla Stadium.[10] He made his professional debut on 25 November, starting in a UEFA Champions League group stage match away to Zenit Saint Petersburg,[11] being substituted by Santi Mina in the 56th minute of an eventual 2–0 defeat.[12]

Mir made his top-flight debut against Las Palmas on 28 August 2016, replacing Enzo Pérez for the final four minutes of a 4–2 home loss.[13] On 24 April 2017, he was hit by a car at a zebra crossing, suffering light injuries to his leg and arm.[14]

Mir again spent the 2017–18 preseason with the first team of Marcelino García Toral, but with only one year left on his contract and not accepting the renewal offer proposed by the club,[15][16] a way out began to be sought for the player, who had also received important offers.[17] The doors of the first team were completely closed to him.[18] He began the first half of the 2017–18 season for Valencia B in good form, scoring 15 goals in 19 games, attracting interest from Real Madrid and Wolverhampton Wanderers.[19]

Wolverhampton Wanderers

On 3 January 2018, Mir joined Championship club Wolverhampton Wanderers for an undisclosed fee, signing a four-and-a-half-year contract with the club and taking the number 9 shirt. He linked up with former Valencia boss Nuno Espírito Santo, who gave him his first team debut at the club.[20] He made his debut three days later in the FA Cup third round at home to Swansea City, playing the last 13 minutes of a goalless draw in place of Léo Bonatini.[21]

On 23 July 2018, Mir joined Segunda División side UD Las Palmas on loan for one season.[22] A year later, he returned to the Championship, on loan to Nottingham Forest.[23] After struggling for both minutes and goals with Forest, Mir and Forest agreed for him to return to his parent club on 14 January 2020.[24]

Immediately following his departure from Nottingham, Mir was loaned to Segunda División side SD Huesca for 18 months.[25] He was sent off on 8 February 2020 in a 1–0 loss at Girona FC for elbowing Álex Granell and banned for one match.[26] On 17 July, he scored twice in a 3–0 home win over CD Numancia to win promotion to the top flight with a game remaining.[27]

On 15 December 2020, Mir scored a hat-trick in a 3–2 extra-time win over CD Marchamalo in the first round of the Copa del Rey.[28] The following 29 January, he netted another treble in a 3–1 victory at Real Valladolid.[29] He ended the league season with 13 goals, joint eighth-best.[30]

Sevilla

On 20 August 2021, Mir signed a six-year contract with Sevilla for a fee potentially rising to €16 million.[31] On 23 November 2021, he scored his first Champions League goal in the 97th minute of a 2–0 victory over VfL Wolfsburg.[32]

Mir was approached by Valencia to return on loan for a €5 million fee in July 2023, with the club also taking on his €2 million salary and Sevilla's €3 million conditional payment to Wolverhampton.[33] The move collapsed for financial reasons, and a late approach by A.C. Milan for a loan with obligatory purchase was rejected due to a lack of remaining forwards at Sevilla.[34]

On 11 July 2024, Mir returned to boyhood club Valencia on loan, with a buyout clause of €5 million.[35] On 17 August of the following year, he moved to fellow top-tier club Elche also on a temporary deal.[36]

During a 2026 match between Elche and Espanyol, Omar El Hilali reported that Mir had allegedly made racial comments towards him. Mir reportedly said "You came in a small boat", a reference to illegal immigrants and asylum seekers. El Hilali triggered La Liga's anti-racism protocol following the alleged racial insult.[37]

On 4 August 2026, Mir was loaned for the final year of his Sevilla contract to Aris, on a deal that would then see him join the Greek club until June 2028.[38] Due to his conviction, he required permission from the court to move abroad, and had to register at the Spanish consulate in Thessaloniki.[39]

International career

On 29 June 2021, Mir was named in the 22-man squad for the 2020 Summer Olympics by manager Luis de la Fuente.[40] On 31 July, he scored an injury-time equaliser against the Ivory Coast to take their quarter-final to extra-time, in which he added two further goals to complete a hat-trick as Spain won 5–2.[41]

Personal life

Mir, who idolised German forward Mario Gómez, is the son of former defender Magín Mir, whose clubs included RCD Mallorca and Murcia.[4] He is a cousin of artistic gymnast Nicolau Mir.[42]

After he won his Olympic silver medal in 2021, the football ground in Mir's childhood village of Javalí Nuevo was named after him. Following his conviction, the council in Murcia said the name would be removed if his appeal failed.[3]

On 15 June 2026, Mir was sentenced to 8½ years in prison for sexual assault (seven years) and bodily harm (eighteen months). The offences took place at his home in Bétera, Province of Valencia, on 1 September 2024.[43] The prosecutor said that he would not enter prison until the end of appeals.[44]

Career statistics

As of match played 22 April 2026[45]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup[a] League cup[b] Europe Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Valencia B 2014–15 Segunda División B 41————41
2015–16 Segunda División B 20————20
2016–17 Segunda División B 359————359
2017–18 Segunda División B 1915————1915
Total 6025————6025
Valencia 2015–16 La Liga 0010———10
2016–17 La Liga 2030———50
Total 2040———60
Wolverhampton Wanderers 2017–18 Championship 2020———40
2018–19 Premier League 000000——00
Total 202000——40
Las Palmas (loan) 2018–19 Segunda División 30700———307
Nottingham Forest (loan) 2019–20 Championship 1100020——130
Huesca (loan) 2019–20 Segunda División 18900———189
2020–21 La Liga 381313———3916
Total 562213———5725
Sevilla 2021–22 La Liga 341042—9[c]1—4713
2022–23 La Liga 26641—6[d]1—368
2023–24 La Liga 15241—2[e]01[f]0223
Total 7518124—1721010524
Valencia (loan) 2024–25 La Liga 20121———222
Elche (loan) 2025–26 La Liga 27820———298
Career total 28381238201721032688
  1. ↑ Includes Copa del Rey, FA Cup
  2. ↑ Includes EFL Cup
  3. ↑ Six appearances and one goal in UEFA Champions League, three appearances in UEFA Europa League
  4. ↑ Three appearances and one goal in UEFA Champions League, three appearances in UEFA Europa League
  5. ↑ Appearances in UEFA Champions League
  6. ↑ Appearance in UEFA Super Cup

Honours

Huesca

Sevilla

Spain U21

Spain U23

References

  1. ↑ "Notification of shirt numbers: Nottingham Forest" (PDF). English Football League. p. 49. Retrieved 24 October 2019.
  2. ↑ "Rafa Mir". www.elchecf.es.
  3. 1 2 Torres, David (17 June 2026). "Javalí Nuevo le da la espalda a Rafa Mir: Retirará su nombre al campo fútbol si la sentencia es firme" [Javalí Nuevo turns its back on Rafa Mir: It will remove his name from its football ground if the sentence is final] (in Spanish). El Desmarque. Retrieved 17 June 2026.
  4. 1 2 3 "Rafa Mir, el ´gigante´ de los mil goles del Valencia CF" [Rafa Mir, Valencia CF's 1000-goal 'giant'] (in Spanish). Super Deporte. 11 November 2015. Retrieved 24 November 2015.
  5. ↑ "El Mestalla sufre pero se impone" [Mestalla suffer but impose themselves] (in Spanish). Levante EMV. 9 March 2015. Retrieved 24 November 2015.
  6. ↑ "Perfect Arsenal forge on in Youth League". UEFA. 20 October 2015. Retrieved 24 November 2015.
  7. ↑ "Holders Chelsea assured of top-two finish". UEFA. 4 November 2015. Retrieved 24 November 2015.
  8. ↑ "El Valencia Mestalla naufraga ante el Villarreal B" [Valencia Mestalla sink against Villarreal B] (in Spanish). Super Deporte. 14 November 2015. Retrieved 24 November 2015.
  9. ↑ Gimeno, Manu (20 November 2015). "Nuno se lleva a Rafa Mir y recupera a pesos pesados" [Nuno brings in Rafa Mir and regains heavyweights] (in Spanish). El Desmarque. Retrieved 24 November 2015.
  10. ↑ "Viera gets the point for Las Palmas as Valencia are left frustrated". ESPN. 21 November 2015. Retrieved 24 November 2015.
  11. ↑ Rocha Rodrigues, Luís; Sousa, Vasco (24 November 2015). "Para sacudir a crise, Nuno estreia Rafa Mir, de 18 anos" [To end the crisis, Nuno gives a debut to Rafa Mir, 18] (in Portuguese). ZeroZero. Retrieved 24 November 2015.
  12. ↑ "Zenit stay perfect at Valencia's expense". UEFA. 24 November 2015. Retrieved 24 November 2015.
  13. ↑ "El Las Palmas desnuda al Valencia" [Las Palmas expose Valencia] (in Spanish). El Periódico. 23 August 2016. Retrieved 19 September 2016.
  14. ↑ "Atropellan a Rafa Mir en un paso de cebra" [Rafa Mir hit by car at zebra crossing]. Superdeporte (in Spanish). 24 April 2017. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
  15. ↑ Pardo, Pau (16 August 2017). "Rafa Mir bajó al filial por no haber renovado" [Rafa Mir demoted to reserve team for not renewing contract]. Superdeporte.
  16. ↑ "La semana loca de Rafa Mir" [Rafa Mir's crazy week]. Marca (in Spanish). 8 December 2015. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
  17. ↑ "MERCADO | El Real Madrid quiere a Rafa Mir" [TRANSFER MARKET | Real Madrid want Rafa Mir]. Plaza Deportiva (in Spanish). Retrieved 26 March 2024.
  18. ↑ Alberola, Andreu (26 October 2017). "Marcelino zanja una vez más el caso Rafa Mir" [Marcelino ends the Rafa Mir affair yet again]. Superdeporte (in Spanish). Retrieved 26 March 2024.
  19. ↑ "Wolves close to signing Rafa Mir from Valencia". Sky Sports. 3 January 2018.
  20. ↑ "Welcome Rafa". Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. 3 January 2018.
  21. ↑ Dicken, Alex (10 January 2018). "Rafa Mir scouting report: How the Wolves new boy's brief but eventful debut unfolded". Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 2 February 2021.
  22. ↑ "Mir Departs Molineux On Loan". Wolverhampton Wanderers FC. 23 July 2018. Retrieved 23 July 2018.
  23. ↑ "Rafa Mir: Nottingham Forest sign Wolves striker on season-long loan". BBC. 30 July 2019. Retrieved 30 July 2019.
  24. ↑ Clapson, Sarah (14 January 2020). "Breaking: Flop leaves Nottingham Forest as loan spell is terminated". Nottingham Post. Retrieved 2 February 2021.
  25. ↑ Puyuelo, Jorge (24 August 2020). "Rafa Mir será el '9' del Huesca" [Rafa Mir will be Huesca's '9']. Diario AS (in Spanish). Retrieved 2 February 2021.
  26. ↑ Ralla, Emilio (12 February 2020). "La sanción a Rafa Mir se queda en un partido" [Rafa Mir's punishment stays at one match]. Heraldo de Aragón (in Spanish). Retrieved 2 February 2021.
  27. ↑ Delgado, José Domingo (17 July 2020). "Rafa Mir lleva a la SD Huesca a Primera y hunde al Numancia" [Rafa Mir takes SD Huesca to Primera and sinks Numancia] (in Spanish). Be Soccer. Retrieved 2 February 2021.
  28. ↑ Añover Ortiz, Antonio (15 December 2020). "CD Marchamalo 2-3 SD Huesca: Rafa Mir evita la sorpresa del Marchamalo" [CD Marchamalo 2-3 SD Huesca: Rafa Mir avoids Marchamalo surprise] (in Spanish). Grada 3. Retrieved 22 October 2021.
  29. ↑ "Rafa Mir Shines With Hat Trick To Give Huesca Win Over Valladolid". beIN Sports. 29 January 2021. Retrieved 2 February 2021.
  30. ↑ "Por quinto año, Messi se corona como el goleador liguero" [For fifth year, Messi is crowned league top scorer]. El Nuevo Siglo (in Spanish). 28 May 2021. Retrieved 22 October 2021.
  31. ↑ "Oficial: Rafa Mir, nuevo jugador del Sevilla" [Official: Rafa Mir, new Sevilla player]. Marca (in Spanish). 20 August 2021. Retrieved 30 September 2023.
  32. ↑ "Sevilla 2–0 Wolfsburg". UEFA. 23 November 2021.
  33. ↑ "El Sevilla pide cinco millones para dejar salir a Rafa Mir" [Sevilla ask for five million to let Rafa Mir go]. Las Provincias (in Spanish). 19 July 2023. Retrieved 30 September 2023.
  34. ↑ Florido, E. (1 September 2023). "El Sevilla rechaza la oferta del Milan por Rafa Mir, negociación rota" [Sevilla reject Milan's offer for Rafa Mir, negotiations broken down]. Diario de Sevilla (in Spanish). Retrieved 30 September 2023.
  35. ↑ "Agreement with Valencia CF for the loan of Rafa Mir". Sevilla FC. 11 July 2024. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
  36. ↑ "Acuerdo con el Elche CF para la cesión de Rafa Mir" [Agreement with Elche CF for the loan of Rafa Mir] (in Spanish). Sevilla FC. 17 August 2025. Retrieved 18 August 2025.
  37. ↑ "Espanyol's El Hilali activates antiracism protocol in LaLiga after alleged insult from Elche's Rafa Mir". Bolavip US. 1 March 2026.
  38. ↑ Espina, José A. (4 August 2026). "Oficial: Rafa Mir, al Aris hasta 2028" [Official: Rafa Mir, to Aris until 2028]. Diario AS (in Spanish). Retrieved 5 August 2026.
  39. ↑ "Rafa Mir, condenado a más de 8 años de cárcel por agresión sexual con violencia, cedido por el Sevilla al Aris de Salónica" [Rafa Mir, sentenced to more than 8 years in prison for violent sexual assault, loaned by Sevilla to Aris Thessaloniki] (in Spanish). RTVE. 4 August 2026. Retrieved 5 August 2026.
  40. ↑ "Spain Names Six From Euro Squad to Olympic Roster". Sports Illustrated. 29 June 2021. Retrieved 1 July 2021.
  41. ↑ "Rafa Mir scores hat-trick as Spain overpower Ivory Coast in extra time to reach semi-finals". Sky Sports. 31 July 2021. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
  42. ↑ "Del Coll a Tokio: El lazo familiar que une a Nicolau y Rafa Mir" [From Coll to Tokyo: The family bond that unites Nicolau and Rafa Mir]. Última Hora (in Spanish). 21 July 2021.
  43. ↑ "La Audiencia de Valencia condena al futbolista Rafa Mir a ocho años y medio de prisión por agresión sexual" [Valencia court sentences footballer Rafa Mir to eight and a half years in prison for sexual assault] (in Spanish). ElDiario.es. 15 June 2026. Retrieved 15 June 2026.
  44. ↑ "Miguel Ángel Sampedro, abogado de una víctima de Rafa Mir: "No entrará en prisión de manera inmediata. Hay abierta una vía de recursos"" [Miguel Ángel Sampedro, lawyer of one of Rafa Mir's victims: "He will not go to prison immediately. An appeals route has been opened"] (in Spanish). Antena 3. 16 June 2026. Retrieved 17 June 2026.
  45. ↑ "Rafa Mir". Soccerway. Retrieved 3 January 2018.
  46. ↑ Lowe, Sid (31 May 2023). "Montiel edges Sevilla to seventh Europa League triumph with win over Roma". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 31 May 2023.
This page is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.