According to a report by Barca Universal on Sunday, November 1, 2026, Barcelona forward Raphinha has equalled Lionel Messi’s impressive goalscoring record from the first 11 matchdays of the 2012-13 La Liga season following his outstanding display against Deportivo Alaves.

The Brazilian scored twice in the first half of Barcelona’s 6-1 victory over Alaves at the Spotify Camp Nou on Saturday, taking his league goals tally to 15 this season.

His achievement puts him level with Messi, who also scored 15 goals during the opening 11 matchdays of the 2012-13 campaign, one of the most productive seasons of the Argentine’s career.

Raphinha’s record is particularly impressive considering he has played in only 10 of Barcelona’s league matches this season, starting nine of them.

The forward had struggled to regain his best form after suffering an injury during the previous international break. However, his two-goal performance against Alaves showed that he remains an important attacking threat under manager Hansi Flick.

He also had an opportunity to complete a hat-trick but was substituted early as Barcelona looked to manage his fitness and avoid putting too much pressure on him during his recovery.

Meanwhile, Raphinha’s goalscoring form has taken him to the top of the European Golden Boot standings. He currently leads the race ahead of Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappe, who has 11 league goals, while Barcelona teammate Lamine Yamal has scored 10. Manchester City striker Erling Haaland follows with nine.

The Brazilian therefore holds a four-goal advantage over Mbappe, although the Real Madrid forward will have further opportunities to increase his tally.

Despite missing time through injury, Raphinha has maintained an impressive scoring record and continues to play a key role in Barcelona’s attack.

Matching a record set by Messi during his remarkable 2012-13 campaign further highlights the quality of Raphinha’s performances and his excellent start to the current season.