Raphinha’s extraordinary start to the season has begun to change the conversation surrounding his place in Barcelona’s history.
The Brazilian captain is not only leading the club’s attack and competing for the European Golden Boot, but he is also closing in on some of the greatest Brazilian goalscorers to have ever worn the Barcelona shirt.
The first major record is already within reach. Raphinha has scored 89 goals in 185 appearances for Barcelona, leaving him just five goals behind Ronaldinho, who scored 94 goals in 207 matches.
If his current scoring form continues, the 29-year-old could climb the club’s Brazilian goalscoring rankings at an extraordinary pace.
Raphinha’s rise up this list has become particularly interesting because of the names immediately ahead of him.
With 89 goals, he currently ranks fifth among the Brazilian players with the most goals in Barcelona’s history. Ronaldinho is the next target, with the former Barça icon having found the net 94 times during his spell at the club.
This means that six goals would move Raphinha ahead of Ronaldinho, while five more would see him draw level with him.
The next challenge would be significantly greater, as Neymar and Evaristo have 105 goals each and share second place, putting them 16 goals ahead of Raphinha.
Given his current form, that gap does not appear completely unattainable. Raphinha has already scored 12 times in La Liga this season and currently sits second in the European Golden Boot race.
A continuation of this form could bring Neymar and Evaristo within his sights before the end of the season.
The reason these records have started to attract attention is the extraordinary pace at which Raphinha has begun the season.
His 12 La Liga goals have placed him among the most prolific goalscorers in Europe and, if he were to maintain this scoring rate throughout a full 38-match league season, he would theoretically reach an astonishing total of 66 goals.
Such a projection would comfortably surpass Lionel Messi’s record of 50 La Liga goals, set during the 2011/12 season.
Naturally, the figure of 66 goals is only a projection based on Raphinha maintaining his current scoring rate. The demands of a full season make such a feat extremely difficult, and it should not be regarded as a realistic final total.
Meanwhile, Rivaldo’s record of 130 goals for Barcelona remains much further away, with Raphinha needing another 41 goals just to draw level with the greatest Brazilian goalscorer in the club’s history.
Nevertheless, this is precisely what makes his current form so significant. Ronaldinho is already within touching distance, Neymar and Evaristo are becoming realistic medium-term targets, while Rivaldo currently remains the ultimate benchmark to surpass.
