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{{short description|Brazilian footballer}}
{{other uses|Rai (disambiguation)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2021}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Raí
| image = Rai em 2009 cropped.jpg
| image_size = 
| caption = Raí in 2009
| fullname = Raimundo Souza Vieira de Oliveira
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1965|05|15}}
| birth_place = [[Ribeirão Preto]], Brazil
| height = 1.89 m
| position = [[Attacking midfielder]]
| youthyears1 = 1980–1985
| youthclubs1 = [[Botafogo Futebol Clube (SP)|Botafogo-SP]]
| years1 = 1984–1987
| clubs1 = [[Botafogo Futebol Clube (SP)|Botafogo-SP]]
| caps1 = 
| goals1 = 
| years2 = 1986
| clubs2 = → [[Associação Atlética Ponte Preta|Ponte Preta]] (loan)
| caps2 = 10
| goals2 = 1
| years3 = 1987–1993
| clubs3 = [[São Paulo FC|São Paulo]]
| caps3 = 110
| goals3 = 25
| years4 = 1993–1998
| clubs4 = [[Paris Saint-Germain F.C.|Paris Saint-Germain]]
| caps4 = 147
| goals4 = 51
| years5 = 1998–2000
| clubs5 = [[São Paulo FC|São Paulo]]
| caps5 = 19
| goals5 = 1
| totalcaps = 284
| totalgoals = 77
| nationalyears1 = 1987–1998
| nationalteam1 = [[Brazil national football team|Brazil]]
| nationalcaps1 = 49
| nationalgoals1 = 17
| manageryears1 = 2018–2020
| managerclubs1 = [[São Paulo FC|São Paulo]] (director of football)
| medaltemplates-expand = yes
| medaltemplates = {{MedalSport|Men's [[Association football|Football]]}}
{{Medal|Country|{{flag|Brazil}}}}
{{Medal|Competition|[[FIFA World Cup]]}}
{{Medal|W|[[1994 FIFA World Cup|1994 USA]]|}}
{{Medal|Competition|[[Copa América]]}}
{{Medal|RU|[[1991 Copa América|1991 Chile]]|}}
}}

'''Raimundo Souza Vieira de Oliveira''' (born 15 May 1965), popularly known as '''Raí''' ({{IPA|pt|ʁaˈi}}), is a Brazilian former professional [[Association football|footballer]] who played as an [[attacking midfielder]]. The younger brother of [[Sócrates]],<ref>[https://nytimes.com/1994/07/09/sports/09iht-rob_4.html Europe's surprising challenge to the latin game]; [[The New York Times]], 9 July 1994</ref><ref name="RAI">[https://www.theguardian.com/football/2008/jun/22/brazil Where are they now? Rai]; [[The Guardian]], 22 June 2008</ref> who played in the same position as him, Raí represented [[Brazil national football team|Brazil]] for more than a decade and was part of the country's victorious [[1994 FIFA World Cup|1994 World Cup]] squad.

He spent most of his 15-year career with [[São Paulo FC|São Paulo]]<ref>[http://globoesporte.globo.com/futebol/rogerio-ceni-100/noticia/2011/03/apos-100-de-ceni-rai-eleva-goleiro-ao-posto-de-idolo-maximo-do-tricolor.html Após 100º de Ceni, Raí eleva goleiro ao posto de ídolo máximo do Tricolor (After Ceni's 100th goal, Raí raises goalkeeper to biggest idol position at the ''Tricolor'')]; Globo Esporte, 28 March 2011 {{in lang|pt}}</ref> and [[Paris Saint-Germain F.C.|Paris Saint-Germain]], winning 10 major titles with the two teams combined and nearing the 100-goal mark. Raí is considered by fans, journalists and players as a legend of PSG, despite his relatively short period at the club.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.leparisien.fr/sports/football/psg/50-ans-du-psg-rai-elu-meilleur-joueur-de-l-histoire-du-club-29-09-2020-8393940.php|title = 50 ans du PSG : Raí élu meilleur joueur de l'histoire du club|date = 29 September 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.eurosport.fr/football/ligue-1/2020-2021/rai-meilleur-joueur-du-psg-devant-susic-et-ronaldinho-de-la-difficulte-de-classer-les-legendes_sto7913666/story.shtml|title = Raï meilleur joueur du PSG, devant Susic et Ronaldinho : De la difficulté de classer les légendes|date = 29 September 2020}}</ref>

==Club career==
===Early years===
Born in [[Ribeirão Preto]], São Paulo, Raí started his career with local side [[Botafogo Futebol Clube (SP)|Botafogo]] and in 1986 came to [[Associação Atlética Ponte Preta|Ponte Preta]], where he debuted in the [[Campeonato Brasileiro Série A|Série A]].{{Citation needed|date=September 2021}}

===São Paulo===
[[File:Raí Souza Vieira de Oliveira 01.jpg|thumb|Raí in 1993]]
Raí joined [[São Paulo FC]] for the [[Copa União|1987 season]], only making his league debut on 18 October due to injury. He only scored once in his first year but, following the arrival of [[Telê Santana]] as coach, blossomed into a prolific scorer, scoring 28 overall in the 1991 campaign as the team won both the regional [[Campeonato Paulista]] and the [[1991 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A|National Championship]].{{Citation needed|date=September 2021}}

In 1992, Raí was part of the São Paulo team that won the club's first ever [[Copa Libertadores]], scoring the only goal of the [[1992 Copa Libertadores Final|final]] second-leg against [[Newell's Old Boys]] that took the match to a penalty shootout.{{Citation needed|date=September 2021}} Later that year, he was instrumental in the defeat of [[FC Barcelona]] in the [[1992 Intercontinental Cup]], netting both goals in a 2–1 win in Tokyo. This form saw Raí named [[South American Footballer of the Year]] for 1992.{{Citation needed|date=September 2021}}

In the 1993 season, São Paulo defended their [[1993 Copa Libertadores|Copa Libertadores]] title, with Raí again scoring in the final as [[Club Deportivo Universidad Católica|CD Universidad Católica]] were beaten 5–1 at the [[Estádio do Morumbi]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2008/jun/22/brazil|title=Where are they now? Rai|date=22 June 2008|work=The Guardian}}</ref>

===Paris Saint-Germain===
In June 1993, Raí was acquired by [[Paris Saint-Germain F.C.]] of France for US$4.6 million,<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20100526005611/http://www.fifa.com/worldfootball/clubfootball/news/newsid=1214037.html A match made in heaven]; FIFA.com, 19 May 2010</ref> remaining with São Paulo until the end of the year. He still managed to contribute with six goals in 28 [[Ligue 1]] games as his new club [[1993–94 French Division 1|won the national championship]] for the second time in its history; he helped PSG to [[1994–95 Coupe de France|the following season]]'s [[Coupe de France|French Cup]], and was on target in the [[Coupe de la Ligue|League Cup]] [[1995 Coupe de France Final|final]] against [[SC Bastia]] (2–0).<ref>{{cite news 
|url=https://archivesparisfootball.wordpress.com/2014/04/15/psg-bastia-2-0-030595-coupe-de-la-ligue-94-95/
|title=PSG – Bastia 2–0, 03/05/95, Coupe de la Ligue 94–95
|publisher=archivesparisfootball.wordpress.com
|access-date=3 January 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news 
|url=https://archivesparisfootball.wordpress.com/2015/05/22/psg-strasbourg-1-0-130595-coupe-de-france-94-95/
|title=PSG – Strasbourg 1–0, 13/05/95, Coupe de France 94–95
|publisher=archivesparisfootball.wordpress.com
|access-date=3 January 2020}}</ref> He also reached the [[1994–95 UEFA Champions League#Semi-finals|semi-finals]] of the [[1994–95 UEFA Champions League]] with PSG.

Raí once again proved essential as the [[Paris|capital]] outfit [[1995–96 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup|won the 1996]] [[UEFA Cup Winners' Cup]], scoring twice in a 3–1 home win against [[Parma Calcio 1913|Parma]], after a 1–0 away loss. He also appeared in [[1996 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup Final|the final]] against [[SK Rapid Wien]], and went on to score three seasons in double digits during his five-season spell. In 1997–98 he scored in both the [[1998 Coupe de la Ligue Final|Coupe de la Ligue]] final and the [[1998 Coupe de France Final|Coupe de France]] final against [[FC Girondins de Bordeaux|Bordeaux]] and [[RC Lens|Lens]] respectively as PSG won both games.<ref>{{cite news 
|url=https://archivesparisfootball.wordpress.com/2014/04/13/psg-bordeaux-2-2-4-2-tab-040498-coupe-de-la-ligue-97-98/
|title=PSG – Bordeaux 2–2 (4–2 tab), 04/04/98, Coupe de la Ligue 97–98
|publisher=archivesparisfootball.wordpress.com
|access-date=3 January 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news 
|url=https://archivesparisfootball.wordpress.com/2014/05/03/psg-lens-2-1-020598-coupe-de-france-97-98/
|title=PSG – Lens 2–1, 02/05/98, Coupe de France 97–98
|publisher=archivesparisfootball.wordpress.com
|access-date=3 January 2020}}</ref>

===Return to São Paulo===
At the age of 33, Raí returned to São Paulo.{{Citation needed|date=September 2021}} He retired in 2000.

==International career==
Raí gained the first of his 49 [[Cap (sport)|caps]] for [[Brazil national football team|Brazil]] in 1987, whilst at São Paulo, being selected to [[1987 Copa América|that year]]'s [[Copa América]] in Argentina, playing twice – including in the 0–4 group stage loss against [[Chile national football team|Chile]] – in an eventual group stage exit.<ref>[https://www.rsssf.org/tables/87safull.html Copa América 1987]; at [[Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation|RSSSF]]</ref> His debut occurred on 19 May at the [[Rous Cup]], playing 15 minutes in a 1–1 draw against [[England national football team|England]].{{Citation needed|date=September 2021}}

Raí was picked by coach [[Carlos Alberto Parreira]] for his [[1994 FIFA World Cup]] squad. He captained the team in the group stage and scored a [[Penalty kick (association football)|penalty]] in the first match, a 2–0 win against [[Russia national football team|Russia]], after [[Romário]] was brought down in the box. Raí was subsequently dropped from the first team in the knockout stages, with [[Dunga]] taking over the captaincy. He was used as a [[Substitute (association football)|substitute]] against the [[Netherlands national football team|Netherlands]] (quarterfinals, ten minutes) and [[Sweden men's national football team|Sweden]] (semifinal, 45 minutes)<ref>{{FIFA player|76828}}</ref> as the ''Seleção'' went on to win the tournament.

==Personal life==
After retiring, Raí became a social activist, being involved in two separate philanthropic organisations.<ref name="RAI" />

In the early 2000s, Raí made a cameo appearance in the [[TV Globo]] [[telenovela]] [[Laços de Família]]. He played his own role as an ex-footballer who meets one of the programme's characters (Ciça Soriano, played by actress Júlia Feldens) as she is flying to [[New York City|New York]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://tvefamosos.uol.com.br/noticias/redacao/2021/04/02/participacao-de-rai-em-lacos-de-familia-choca-usuarios-role-aleatorio.htm | title=Participação de Raí em Laços de Família choca usuários: 'Rolê aleatório' }}</ref>

==Career statistics==
===Club===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
|-
!rowspan="2"|Club
!rowspan="2"|Season
!colspan="3"|League
!colspan="2"|[[Coupe de France]]
!colspan="2"|[[Coupe de la Ligue]]
!colspan="2"|[[UEFA|Europe]]
!colspan="2"|Other
!colspan="2"|Total
|-
!Division!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals
|-
| rowspan="5" |[[Paris Saint-Germain F.C.|Paris Saint-Germain]]
|[[1993–94 Paris Saint-Germain F.C. season|1993–94]]
|[[Ligue 1|Division 1]]
|28||6||4||2||colspan="2"|—||4{{efn|name=CWC}}||0||colspan="2"|—||36||8
|-
|[[1994–95 Paris Saint-Germain F.C. season|1994–95]]
|Division 1
|28||12||5||0||4||2||7{{efn|name=UCL|Appearances in [[UEFA Champions League]]}}||2||colspan="2"|—||44 ||16
|-
|[[1995–96 Paris Saint-Germain F.C. season|1995–96]]
|Division 1
|27||14||3||1||1||0||6{{efn|name=CWC|Appearances in [[UEFA Cup Winners' Cup]]}}||2||1{{efn|Appearance in [[Trophée des Champions]]}}||0||38||17
|-
|[[1996–97 Paris Saint-Germain F.C. season|1996–97]]
|Division 1
|35||9||3||1||1||0||10{{efn|name=CWC}}||3||2{{efn|Appearances in [[UEFA Super Cup]]}}||2||51||15
|-
|[[1997–98 Paris Saint-Germain F.C. season|1997–98]]
|Division 1
|29||10||6||3||5||1||8{{efn|name=UCL}}||4||colspan="2"|—||48||18
|-
! colspan="3" |Total
!147!!51!!21!!7!!11!!3!!35!!11!!3!!2!!217!!74
|}
{{notelist}}

===International===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|+ Appearances and goals by national team and year
|-
!National team!!Year!!Apps!!Goals
|-
|rowspan="12"|[[Brazil national football team|Brazil]]
|1987||11||3
|-
|1988||0||0
|-
|1989||0||0
|-
|1990||0||0
|-
|1991||5||3
|-
|1992||7||6
|-
|1993||16||2
|-
|1994||9||3
|-
|1995||0||0
|-
|1996||0||0
|-
|1997||0||0
|-
|1998||1||0
|-
!colspan="2"|Total!!49!!17
|}

==Honours==
'''São Paulo'''
* [[Campeonato Brasileiro Série A]]: [[1991 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A|1991]]
* [[Campeonato Paulista]]: [[1987 Campeonato Paulista|1987]], [[1989 Campeonato Paulista|1989]], [[1991 Campeonato Paulista|1991]], [[1992 Campeonato Paulista|1992]], [[1998 Campeonato Paulista|1998]], [[1980 Campeonato Paulista|2000]]
* [[Copa Libertadores]]: [[1992 Copa Libertadores|1992]], [[1993 Copa Libertadores|1993]]
* [[Intercontinental Cup (1960–2004)|Intercontinental Cup]]: [[1992 Intercontinental Cup|1992]]

'''Paris Saint-Germain'''
* [[Ligue 1|Division 1]]: [[1993–94 French Division 1|1993–94]]
* [[Coupe de France]]: [[1994–95 Coupe de France|1994–95]], [[1997–98 Coupe de France|1997–98]]
* [[Coupe de la Ligue]]: [[1995 Coupe de la Ligue Final|1994–95]], [[1998 Coupe de la Ligue Final|1997–98]]
* [[Trophée des Champions]]: [[1995 Trophée des Champions|1995]]
* [[UEFA Cup Winners' Cup]]: [[1995–96 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup|1995–96]]; runner-up [[1996–97 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup|1996–97]]

'''Brazil'''
* [[FIFA World Cup]]: [[1994 FIFA World Cup|1994]]
* [[Copa América]] runner-up: [[1991 Copa América|1991]]
'''Individual'''
* [[Bola de Prata (Brazil)|Bola de Prata]]: 1989
* [[Intercontinental Cup (1960–2004)|Intercontinental Cup]] Most Valuable Player of the Match Award: [[1992 Intercontinental Cup|1992]]
* [[South American Footballer of the Year]]: 1992
* South American Team of the Year: 1992<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.rsssf.org/miscellaneous/sam-toy.html |title=South American Team of the Year |date=16 January 2009 |access-date=25 October 2015}}</ref>
*[[IFFHS World's Best International Goal Scorer]]: 1992'''<ref>{{cite web|title=IFFHS Awards 1992|date=10 April 2020 |url=https://www.iffhs.de/index.php/posts/274|accessdate=14 October 2020|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20201014093747if_/https://www.iffhs.de/index.php/posts/274|archivedate=14 October 2020}}</ref>'''
*French Division 1 Foreign Player of the Year: 1995, 1997<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rsssf.org/miscellaneous/franpoy.html |title=France – Footballer of the Year |first1=Erik |last1=Garin |first2=José Luis |last2=Pierrend |publisher=Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation (RSSSF) |date=18 January 2018 |access-date=10 April 2018 |archive-date=5 September 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150905115225/http://rsssf.com/miscellaneous/franpoy.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
* [[ESM Team of the Year]]: 1995–96
* [[Laureus Sport for Good Award]]: 2012
* [[Légion d'honneur|Chevalier of the Légion d'honneur]]: 2013<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.lemonde.fr/sport/article/2013/12/14/rai-le-chevalier-bresilien-du-psg_4334143_3242.html |title=Raï, le chevalier brésilien du PSG  |date=14 December 2013 |access-date=14 October 2020}} {{in lang|fr}}</ref>
* Honorary degree of the [[Paris Nanterre University]]: 2019<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.parisnanterre.fr/doctorats-honoris-causa-925507.kjsp?RH=FR |title=Doctorats Honoris Causa |date=2020 |access-date=14 October 2020}} {{in lang|fr}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Raí Souza}}
* {{LFP Ligue 1|rai-souza-veira-de-olive}}
* {{NFT|13648}}
* {{Sambafoot|417_rai}}

{{Navboxes
| title = Brazil squads
| bg        = #FFDF00
| fg        = #008000
| bordercolor = blue
| list =
{{Brazil squad 1987 Copa América}}
{{Brazil squad 1991 Copa América}}
{{Brazil squad 1994 FIFA World Cup}}
}}
{{Navboxes
| title = Awards
| bg = gold
| fg = navy
| list =
{{1992 South American Team of the Year}}
{{1989 Bola de Prata}}
{{South American Footballer of the Year}}
{{Intercontinental Cup winning captains}}
{{Copa Libertadores winning captains}}
{{Intercontinental Cup Man of the Match}}
{{Campeonato Paulista top scorers}}
{{São Paulo FC Hall of Fame}}
}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rai}}
[[Category:1965 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Footballers from Ribeirão Preto]]
[[Category:Brazilian men's footballers]]
[[Category:Men's association football midfielders]]
[[Category:Campeonato Brasileiro Série A players]]
[[Category:Botafogo Futebol Clube (SP) players]]
[[Category:Associação Atlética Ponte Preta players]]
[[Category:São Paulo FC players]]
[[Category:Ligue 1 players]]
[[Category:Paris Saint-Germain FC players]]
[[Category:Brazil men's international footballers]]
[[Category:1987 Copa América players]]
[[Category:1991 Copa América players]]
[[Category:1994 FIFA World Cup players]]
[[Category:FIFA World Cup–winning players]]
[[Category:Copa Libertadores–winning players]]
[[Category:São Paulo FC non-playing staff]]
[[Category:Brazilian expatriate men's footballers]]
[[Category:Expatriate men's footballers in France]]
[[Category:South American Footballer of the Year winners]]
[[Category:Pan American Games gold medalists for Brazil]]
[[Category:Pan American Games footballers for Brazil]]
[[Category:Pan American Games gold medalists in football]]
[[Category:Footballers at the 1987 Pan American Games]]
[[Category:Knights of the Legion of Honour]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 1987 Pan American Games]]
[[Category:Brazilian expatriate sportspeople in France]]
[[Category:20th-century Brazilian sportsmen]]