Rafaela Del Bianchi, 27, poses in undated photo. She died in car accident in Campinas, Brazil. Note: Private photo taken from social media. (@rafadelbianchi/newsX)placeholder image
Rafaela Del Bianchi, 27, poses in undated photo. She died in car accident in Campinas, Brazil. Note: Private photo taken from social media. (@rafadelbianchi/newsX) | @rafadelbianchi/newsX
A women's football star turned influencer who once dated Manchester City and Brazil striker Kerolin Nicoli has died after being thrown from her car when it overturned in a crash.
Rafaela Del Bianchi, 27, was killed in the accident which happened on the Lix da Cunha Highway in Campinas, in the state of Sao Paulo, Brazil, at around 5am on October 3.
According to the Sao Paulo Public Security Department, Rafaela was not wearing a seatbelt when the accident occurred.
She was driving with a friend, who was wearing a seatbelt and survived with minor injuries. The vehicle was found overturned by the police, who confirmed Rafaela's death at the scene.
Rafaela Del Bianchi, 27, died in car accident in Campinas, Brazilplaceholder image
Rafaela Del Bianchi, 27, died in car accident in Campinas, Brazil | @rafadelbianchi/newsX
She had been returning from a nightclub in the city, where she had posted photos and videos hours earlier on Instagram.
Rafaela had more than 23,000 followers on social media, where she shared her gym routines and daily life with her 11-year-old daughter Julia.
In January 2025, she told her followers she had fulfilled her dream of buying a home for herself and her daughter.
Rafaela Del Bianchi, right, and Kerolin Nicoli, undated. The 27-year-old woman died in car crash in Campinas, Brazil. Note: Private photo. (@rafadelbianchi/newsX)placeholder image
Rafaela Del Bianchi, right, and Kerolin Nicoli, undated. The 27-year-old woman died in car crash in Campinas, Brazil. Note: Private photo. (@rafadelbianchi/newsX) | @rafadelbianchi/newsX
Rafaela and Kerolin, who signed for Manchester City’s women’s team in January from North Carolina Courage, were together from 2022 to 2023 and often appeared together in TikTok lives and social media posts.
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Following the crash, Kerolin paid tribute to her former partner online, writing that she would "love [Rafaela] forever" and promising to help care for her daughter.
Rafaela's daughter Julia also posted a message to her mother on social media, writing that she would "try to be strong and make her proud."
Police have opened an investigation into the cause of the accident, including whether alcohol was involved.
Story: NewsX
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