Rayan Vitor Simplício Rocha, commonly known as Rayan, is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays for AFC Bournemouth and the Brazil national team.
Rayan Vitor Born in Rio de Janeiro on 3 August 2006, the left-footed attacker developed at Vasco da Gama before moving to the Premier League in January 2026.
Development at Vasco da Gama
Rayan Vitor joined Vasco da Gama’s academy as a six-year-old and spent more than a decade developing within the club before establishing himself at senior level.
Rayan Vitor made his professional breakthrough as a teenager and gradually developed from a highly rated academy forward into an important member of Vasco’s first team.
His versatility became an important feature of his game.
Although capable of operating as a centre-forward or from the left, Rayan Vitor has increasingly been used from the right side of the attack, allowing him to move inside onto his stronger left foot.
The 2025 season became his major breakthrough in Brazilian senior football.
He scored 20 goals across 57 appearances in all competitions, attracting significant attention before leaving the club for England.
Move to the Premier League
AFC Bournemouth completed the permanent signing of Rayan Vitor from Vasco da Gama on 27 January 2026.
The Brazilian signed a five-and-a-half-year contract running until June 2031.
The transfer represented a major transition from Brazilian football to the Premier League while Rayan Vitor was still only 19.
Bournemouth identified his combination of physical ability, direct attacking play and goalscoring potential as qualities that could continue developing within their first-team environment.
Explore More Football Card Resources
Official Card Manufacturers
Most modern football trading cards are produced by the world’s leading licensed manufacturers.
To explore current releases, official product information and checklists, visit the official websites of Topps and Panini.
Panini Official Website · Topps Official Website
Player image: Bryan Berlin · Own work / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0
Career overview
Rayan Vitor adapted quickly after arriving in England and began accumulating Premier League experience during the second half of the 2025/26 season. ### Bournemouth Breakthrough His Premier League debut came against Wolverhampton Wanderers on 31 January 2026, only days after completing his transfer. Rayan Vitor subsequently established himself within Bournemouth's attacking rotation and began producing goals and assists during his opening months in English football. The 2026/27 season has provided further opportunities. He has remained involved regularly with Bournemouth and wears the number 37 shirt. Bournemouth's qualification for the 2026/27 UEFA Europa League also introduced another important stage to his club career, adding European competition to a rapidly expanding senior résumé. ### Brazil and the 2026 World Cup His progression at Bournemouth was followed almost immediately by an even larger international breakthrough. Rayan Vitor had previously represented Brazil at U17 and U20 level before progressing into the senior national team during 2026. Carlo Ancelotti subsequently selected him for Brazil's squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. During the tournament, Rayan Vitor became an important young option in Brazil's attack. Against Scotland, he assisted Vinícius Júnior and became the youngest Brazilian since Pelé in 1958 to provide an assist at a World Cup. His appearances at the tournament established a major career milestone before his 20th birthday and added senior World Cup football to an already significant early-career chronology.
Collecting overview
Rayan Vitor football cards now span an interesting period in which the Brazilian attacker has progressed from Vasco da Gama to the Premier League and Brazil's senior national team. For collectors, establishing the chronology of these releases is particularly important because cards can represent several distinct stages of his career. ### Topps UCC Living Set #916 One officially documented release is **Rayan – UCC Living Set Card #916**, issued by Topps in September 2026. The card represents Rayan Vitor with AFC Bournemouth and forms part of the UEFA Club Competitions Living Set. Topps lists the card as a 2026 Living Set release and made it available through its print-on-demand format between 3 September and 10 September 2026. This provides collectors with a manufacturer-documented Bournemouth card that can be placed accurately within the Rayan Vitor football cards timeline. The Living Set format is also distinctive because Topps states that a player normally receives only one card in the set unless he moves to another club. ### Rookie Terminology and Earlier Cards Collectors should not automatically interpret the Topps Living Set release as the earliest Rayan Vitor card or his definitive rookie card. His professional career began several years before his move to Bournemouth, and his earlier period with Vasco da Gama must be considered when researching his complete licensed card history. Likewise, a card advertised by a marketplace seller as a "rookie" does not establish that designation independently. The safest approach is to distinguish between earliest documented licensed cards, manufacturer-designated rookie cards, first Bournemouth cards and cards connected to his Brazil career. This creates a more accurate collecting timeline without forcing several different milestones into a single rookie-card definition.
What collectors should look for
Rayan Vitor presents an interesting collecting profile because several significant football milestones occurred within a relatively short period. His Vasco da Gama breakthrough, Premier League transfer, Bournemouth appearances, senior Brazil debut and 2026 World Cup participation create multiple points around which the Rayan Vitor football cards catalogue can develop. ### Building the Rayan Vitor Card Timeline Collectors should document confirmed releases by manufacturer, season, product, card number, team represented and subset. The club displayed on a card is particularly relevant. A Vasco da Gama issue documents a fundamentally different stage of his career from a Bournemouth card, while future Brazil cards could represent another separate collecting category. Competition is also worth recording. Premier League, UEFA competition and international tournament releases can each document different moments in the same player's career. Collectors researching Rayan Vitor football cards should therefore avoid relying solely on marketplace search results when determining chronology. Official manufacturer checklists and product pages provide stronger evidence for card numbers, subsets, parallels and manufacturer-applied rookie designations. ### Grading Considerations Condition should be evaluated independently from a card's scarcity or importance within the player's timeline. Before submitting a Rayan Vitor card for professional grading, collectors should inspect centering, corners, edges and surfaces carefully. Chrome and other reflective finishes deserve particular attention because scratches, print lines, dimples and surface imperfections can become visible under angled lighting. Numbered parallels should also be verified directly from the card and manufacturer documentation whenever possible. As additional Bournemouth, Brazil and UEFA products enter the market, maintaining an accurate record of early Rayan Vitor releases should become increasingly useful for collectors attempting to distinguish genuine early issues from later cards.
Collector questions
Who is Rayan Vitor?
Rayan Vitor Simplício Rocha is a Brazilian forward who plays for AFC Bournemouth and the Brazil national team. Born in Rio de Janeiro in 2006, he developed at Vasco da Gama before moving to the Premier League in January 2026.
What position does Rayan Vitor play?
Rayan Vitor primarily plays as a right winger but can also operate as a centre-forward or left winger. He is left-footed and can attack from wide positions before moving inside toward goal.
When did Rayan Vitor join Bournemouth?
Rayan Vitor joined AFC Bournemouth permanently from Vasco da Gama on 27 January 2026. He signed a contract running until 30 June 2031 and wears number 37.
Did Rayan Vitor play at the 2026 FIFA World Cup?
Yes. Rayan Vitor was selected for Brazil's 2026 FIFA World Cup squad. During the tournament he assisted Vinícius Júnior against Scotland, becoming the youngest Brazilian since Pelé in 1958 to register a World Cup assist.
Does Rayan Vitor have Topps football cards?
Yes. Topps officially released Rayan as card #916 in the 2026 UEFA Club Competitions Living Set, representing AFC Bournemouth. Collectors should not automatically interpret this card as his earliest licensed card or definitive rookie without researching earlier releases.
What should collectors look for in Rayan Vitor football cards?
Collectors should verify the manufacturer, year, product, card number, team and subset of each release. Rookie claims should be supported by manufacturer documentation, while cards considered for grading should be inspected for centering, corners, edges and surface condition.