Rafael Tolói

São Paulo On 5 July 2012, São Paulo confirmed Tolói in their squad, with the defender signing a five-year contract. He scored his first goal for São Paulo on 25 July 2012 in a match against Atlético Goianiense.

On 3 August 2013, Tolói scored the goal that confirmed the title of Eusébio Cup for São Paulo FC, in a 2–0 victory against S.L. Benfica.

Loan to Roma On 31 January 2014, Tolói was loaned to Serie A side AS Roma for the remainder of the 2013–14 season for a fee of €500,000. The move was agreed with an option to buy for a total value of €5.5 million. He made his debut for the Giallorossi in their 2–1 win against Torino on 25 March 2014, playing the full 90 minutes in place of the suspended Medhi Benatia.

Atalanta On 26 August 2015, Tolói was signed by Atalanta for a €3.5 million transfer fee. He made his debut on 13 September, in a 2–2 league draw at Sassuolo, replacing Gianpaolo Bellini in the 80th minute. In his second match, eleven days later, he started and scored the sole goal, settling a 1–0 league win at Empoli.

On 22 February 2018, Tolói scored for the first time in a UEFA competition, against Borussia Dortmund in the Europa League round of 32. The match ended in a 1–1 draw, which was not enough to see Atalanta through the next round, as the club had succumbed to a 3–2 defeat in the first leg.

Tolói became Atalanta's captain during the 2020–21 season, following the departure of his predecessor Papu Gómez from the club. On 1 March 2022, Tolói signed a contract extension at Atalanta, keeping him at the club through 2024 with an option to extend the deal until 2026.

On 22 May 2024, Tolói made a late substitute appearance in Atalanta's 3–0 victory over Bayer Leverkusen in the 2024 Europa League final at the Dublin Arena.

On 19 February, 2025, Toloí was involved in an altercation with an opponent during which he attempted to strike his opponent with a football before slipping and falling. The incident was widely memed across social media.

Return to São Paulo On 15 August 2025, Tolói returned to São Paulo on a contract until 31 December 2026, with an automatic extension option to 31 December 2027, conditional on performance.

International career Tolói represented Brazil at the under-20 level, winning the South American Championship and placing second in the World Cup in 2009.

Having satisfied its eligibility rules by possessing Italian citizenship, residing in Italy for five years, and never representing Brazil at the senior level, FIFA approved Tolói's switch of international allegiance to Italy on 17 February 2021. He was subsequently named to the Italian squad by manager Roberto Mancini on March 19, 2021, and made his debut on the 31st in the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Lithuania, playing the entire match in a 2–0 away victory.

On 1 June 2021, Tolói was named by manager Roberto Mancini in the 26-man Italy squad for the UEFA Euro 2020. In Italy's second group match on 16 June, he made his first appearance of the tournament, coming on as a second-half substitute for Domenico Berardi, and setting up Ciro Immobile's goal in a 3–0 win over Switzerland, which allowed Italy to advance to the round of 16. On 11 July, Tolói won the European Championship with Italy following a 3–2 penalty shoot-out victory over England at Wembley Stadium in the final, after a 1–1 draw in extra-time.

Style of play Tolói is a physically strong defender, who is mainly known for his anticipation. Although usually a centre-back, he is also capable of playing as a right-back, and is known for his ability to contribute offensively as well as defensively.

Career statistics Club + Appearances and goals by club, season and competition

2008

2009

2013

Honours Goiás Campeonato Goiano: 2009, 2012

São Paulo Copa Sudamericana: 2012

Atalanta UEFA Europa League: 2023–24

Italy UEFA European Championship: 2020