According to a report by Barca Universal on Monday October 26, 2026, Barcelona captain Raphinha has matched a remarkable goalscoring record set by Lionel Messi after making an impressive start to the 2026/27 La Liga season.

The Brazilian forward reached 13 league goals in just nine appearances after scoring against Real Madrid in Sunday's El Clasico, placing him alongside Messi's achievement during the 2012/13 campaign.

According to Opta statistics, only Cristiano Ronaldo has recorded a better return among the players in this comparison, having scored 17 goals in his first nine La Liga appearances during the 2014/15 season.

Raphinha has also provided three assists, taking his total goal contributions to 16 in nine league matches. His performances have made him Barcelona's leading attacking threat despite the team's recent disappointing results.

The 29-year-old scored Barcelona's equaliser in the 61st minute against Real Madrid, briefly giving Hansi Flick's side hope of securing a positive result at the Spotify Camp Nou. However, Kylian Mbappe's goal later sealed a 2-1 victory for the visitors.

Despite the defeat, Raphinha's individual form remains a major positive for Barcelona. He currently leads the La Liga scoring charts with 13 goals, ahead of Mbappe on 11 and teammate Lamine Yamal on eight, according to the report.

One of the most interesting aspects of his campaign has been his adaptation to a central attacking role. Following Robert Lewandowski's departure, Flick has experimented with Raphinha as a number nine, and the decision has produced impressive results.

Rather than relying solely on physical presence inside the penalty area, the Brazilian uses intelligent movement, quick combinations and his ability to attack spaces to create goalscoring opportunities.

Although maintaining his current scoring rate will be difficult, Raphinha has demonstrated that he can provide Barcelona with an effective attacking option without depending on a traditional centre-forward.

Barcelona will now hope his excellent form can help the team recover from consecutive defeats against Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid.