Rafael Cabral

Cabral's current-season form is down 67% on last season (Season 12→4), while his Rating held around 17. His peak season for form remains 2023/24 (Season 59).

Domestic career

Season	Club	Apps	CS	CS%	Match	RTG	Season
2026/27	Real Salt Lake · 11th	26	3	12%	6.98	17	3
2025/26	Real Salt Lake · 9th	35	7	20%	7.11	18	12
2024/25	Cruzeiro	35	0	0%	7.11	—	—
2024/25	Gremio · 14th	21	1	5%	6.7	11	2
2023/24	Cruzeiro · 14th	35	15	43%	7.11	30	59
2022/23	Cruzeiro	37	0	0%	7.07	—	—

Domestic-league totals per season. RTG = Field Insider Rating (potential / ceiling); Season = age-blind form that year. 10 earlier seasons in the full career.

Brazil · international

Side	Apps	G
Brazil	3	0

Career caps & goals — tournament breakdown in the full career.

Scout report

Experienced headGoalkeeper

Rafael Cabral is a 36-year-old goalkeeper at Real Salt Lake, rated 17.1 overall by Field Insider's model, ranking 433rd of 491 on scout potential in the Major League Soccer. A seasoned veteran, he has been an ever-present this season (97.2% of available minutes). Below: strengths, watch-points, market-value outlook and the latest transfer news on Cabral.

Judged on this season alone, Cabral graded 4 — a workmanlike campaign that ranks 32nd of 41 of the 41 goalkeepers in the Major League Soccer, on 3 clean sheets across 26 appearances.

Year-on-year, that's a drop on last season (Season 12 → 4). Over the 6 seasons on record his form has drifted down, peaking in 2023/24.

On long-term talent our Rating reads 17, 33rd of 41 of the 41 goalkeepers in the Major League Soccer. At 36 Cabral is into the veteran stage, where the age curve weighs on the projection, and a market index of 1 reflects that trajectory.

From the career report

Read the full career report →

Below his 2023/24 peak but holding a solid level — the platform for a return is there.

Peak: 2023/24Holding levelStreakyStepped up 2023/244 clubs

Current potential33rd of 41 goalkeepers · Major League Soccer Current season32nd of 41 goalkeepers · Major League Soccer 32nd-best goalkeeper in the Major League Soccer 433rd in the Major League Soccer · potential 33rd-highest potential goalkeeper in the Major League Soccer

17.1

Ratingi

33rd of 41 goalkeepers

4.1

Seasoni

below regular-starter level

97.2%

Minutes

near ever-present

0.08

Def. actions / 90

light defensive volume

Output in context · Real Salt Lake finished 11th of 15 · a lower-table side

Apps

Clean sheets

12%

CS rate

97.2%

Minutes

3 clean sheets in 26 appearances (12% of games). Keeping that many behind a lower-table side (11th of 15) — a side that concedes more — points to a busy, productive season between the posts.

Strengths

Availability. On the pitch for 97.2% of available minutes — a dependable presence in the XI.

Watch points

Age curve. At 36, both level and resale value are on the downslope.
Level. Rates below a nailed-on top-tier starter on our model.

Outlook

With a Rating of 17.1, Cabral carries the 33rd-highest potential of the goalkeepers in the Major League Soccer of 41, and he is posting that for a lower-table side (Real Salt Lake finished 11th of 15) — individual numbers are harder to earn on a struggling team, so his underlying level likely sits a touch above the ranking. A near ever-present keeper carrying the gloves this season. Veteran phase — a short-term, lower-fee proposition as both level and value decline (0.6× and falling).

Generated from Field Insider's rating model · AI-written analysis to follow.

Per 90 & availability

Minutes played %97.2%

Available fixtures27 of 27

Goals / 900

Assists / 900

Goal contribution / 900

Defensive actions / 900.076

Player flow

Goal involvements0

Pass accuracy %78

Cards / 900.038

Season-by-season progression

Rating (potential)Season (form)

Value & potential by age

Market valueRating

Solid = now · dashed = projected

The gold line is market value — an index (not €) blending rating, age and league. It climbs through the early 20s, peaks around ages 23–27 (~3), then tapers with age. At 36, Cabral sits on 1, past its peak and easing. The blue line is Cabral's projected Rating — 17.1 today — recomputed at each age, so it follows the same rise-and-fall as a career matures and declines. Solid = up to today; dashed = projected.

Season statistics

Bars = where he ranks among goalkeepers in the Major League Soccer with 600+ minutes this season.

Goalkeeping

Clean sheets3

Saves71

Save rate64%

Goals conceded40

Distribution

Passes963

Pass accuracy78%

Yellow/red cards

Yellow cards1

Red cards0

Transfer history

€5.5M total transfer fees · 6 moves

Real Salt LakeJan 2025 – nowFree Transfer

Gremio(on loan)Apr 2024 – Jan 2025

CruzeiroJan 2022 – Apr 2024Free

ReadingAug 2019 – Jan 2022Free

SampdoriaJul 2018 – Aug 2019Free

NapoliJul 2013 – Jul 2018€ 5.5M

Santosuntil Jul 2013

About Rafael Cabral

Rafael Cabral Barbosa is a 36-year-old goalkeeper who plays for Real Salt Lake, born on May 20, 1990 in Sorocaba, standing 186 cm tall. He is from Brazil. Real Salt Lake currently sit 11th of 15 in the Major League Soccer.

This season

In the current season, Rafael Cabral has made 26 appearances with 0 goals and 0 assists across 2,361 minutes, averaging a 6.57 match rating over his last 10 rated games, with 1 yellow card.

When Rafael Cabral plays, Real Salt Lake's record this season is 11W-6D-13L — and his match ratings average 6.98 at home against 6.85 on the road.

Recent matches

September 27, 2026: 3-0 win at home vs New England Revolution (90 minutes, 7.36 rating)
September 24, 2026: 0-2 loss away at Seattle Sounders (90 minutes, 6.83 rating)
September 20, 2026: 0-3 loss at home vs Vancouver Whitecaps (90 minutes, 6.5 rating)
September 13, 2026: 0-2 loss at home vs New York City FC (90 minutes, 5.98 rating)
September 10, 2026: 1-2 loss away at Houston Dynamo (90 minutes, 6.66 rating)
September 6, 2026: 2-2 draw at home vs Los Angeles FC (90 minutes, 6.4 rating)
August 30, 2026: 0-1 loss away at Colorado Rapids (90 minutes, 7.2 rating)
August 26, 2026: 0-3 loss away at Leon (90 minutes, 6 rating)
August 20, 2026: 3-4 loss at home vs FC Dallas (90 minutes, 5.6 rating)
August 16, 2026: 1-1 draw at home vs Minnesota United FC (90 minutes, 7.2 rating)

Rafael Cabral's next match is on October 10, 2026, when Real Salt Lake face Philadelphia Union away in the Major League Soccer.

Field Insider's view

Field Insider currently rates Rafael Cabral at 17.1 with a Season form score of 4.1, ranking 433rd of 491 goalkeepers in the Major League Soccer. See the full scout report for strengths, watch-points and the market-value outlook.

His honours include 16 career titles — among them the Serie B and the Super Cup. Full list in the career record.

Career

Across 15 recorded seasons, Rafael Cabral has totalled 430 club appearances with 0 goals and 0 assists for 7 different clubs. His busiest campaign came in 2020/21, with 45 appearances for Reading.

Rafael Cabral's career has also included time at Gremio, Cruzeiro, Reading, Sampdoria, Napoli and Santos.

On the international stage, Rafael Cabral has represented Brazil — 3 caps in our records.

Transfer news

No transfer news found for this player.

Profile

Season stats

Performance data · by competition

Career

Scout report

Output in context · Real Salt Lake finished 11th of 15 · a lower-table side

Strengths

Watch points