It has been a season of transformation for Raphinha at FC Barcelona. From being the underdog and being linked with an exit with Xavi Hernandez, to becoming team captain and talisman with Hansi Flick, the Brazilian winger has come a long way and has done it in style.
Last night’s UEFA Champions League match against SL Benfica marked another step for the Brazilian on his path to establishing himself as an icon at the club, as he proved once again that he is ready to become a hero for the team whenever necessary.
The winger’s last-gasp goal, to achieve a dramatic 4-5 victory against Benfica, will remain etched in the fans’ memories for a long time.
Raphinha, on the verge of equaling Vinicius’ best season
With his double against Benfica, Raphinha now has an impressive 25 goals (22 for Barcelona and 3 for Brazil) and 9 assists this season and we are still in January.
To put his extraordinary performances into perspective, just look at the numbers of one of the candidates for the last Ballon d’Or: Vinicius Jr. of Real Madrid.
Vinicius finished second in the 2024 Ballon d’Or, losing to Rodri of Manchester City, after scoring 26 goals (two of them with Brazil) and giving 10 assists (one for Brazil) throughout the 2023/24 season, playing a total of 45 games.
With 34 games played and still many months of the season ahead, Raphinha is just one goal and one assist away from matching those figures.
This is not intended in any way to detract from what the Real Madrid winger achieved last season, but rather to highlight the spectacular campaign being carried out by the Barcelona captain.
Raphinha has scored in all the competitions in which he has played (11 in La Liga, eight in the Champions League, one in the Copa del Rey and two in the Spanish Super Cup) and has assisted in all but the Copa del Rey , where you still have the opportunity to do so.
If he continues like this, Raphinha will have a chance to win all the individual awards in a few months, if Barça adds more titles to its Super Cup conquest.