Barcelona captain Raphinha matches Lionel Messi’s historic La Liga record after stunning start to season

Barcelona captain Raphinha matches Lionel Messi’s historic La Liga record after stunning start to season Barcelona have endured a difficult few days, suffering consecutive defeats against PSG in the Champions League and Real Madrid in La Liga . However, despite the disappointing results, Hansi Flick has one major positive to take from his team’s performances. Captain Raphinha has delivered remarkable numbers in front of goal, continuing his evolution as Barcelona’s number nine. The Brazilian captain has now matched a goalscoring record set by Lionel Messi during one of his most prolific seasons at Barcelona. Matching any stat set by the Argentine legend underlines how impressive his start to the 2026-27 campaign has been. Raphinha joins Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in elite company With his equaliser against Real Madrid on Sunday, Raphinha reached 13 La Liga goals in just nine appearances this season. He has also registered three assists, taking his overall goal contributions to 16. The achievement places him alongside Messi, who scored 13 goals in his first nine league appearances during the 2012-13 campaign. Only Cristiano Ronaldo managed a better return in the comparison, scoring 17 times across the same number of appearances in 2014-15. Raphinha also remains La Liga’s leading goalscorer, sitting two goals ahead of Kylian Mbappe, who has scored 11, while teammate Lamine Yamal follows with eight. His latest goal came in the 61st minute of El Clasico , temporarily bringing Barcelona level before Mbappe’s late winner. It was another important contribution from a player who has consistently delivered against Real Madrid under Flick. While it may not have led to a victory on this occasion, it was important for Raphinha to return to his goalscoring ways after his short absence through injury. Flick’s decision to use Raphinha centrally pays off The most impressive aspect of Raphinha’s goalscoring form is that he has achieved these numbers while adapting to a different attacking role. Raphinha’s evolution as a number nine has been a joy to watch. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images) Following Robert Lewandowski’s departure, Barcelona failed to find a suitable replacement for the Polish legend. Flick’s decision to experiment with Raphinha as the number nine has turned into one of his most successful tactical adjustments. The Brazilian offers a different profile from a traditional striker, combining intelligent movement with the ability to attack spaces and participate in Barcelona’s attacking combinations. While his current scoring rate will be difficult to maintain, Raphinha allows Barça to play a particular system without depending on a conventional number nine. The Brazilian’s form will be key to Barcelona’s return to winning ways after a disappointing week, and it remains to be seen how long he can maintain these incredible numbers.