Numbers of legends: Raphinha chases a record-breaking achievement with Barcelona
Will he enter the golden record?
Raphinha continues his attacking brilliance with Barcelona at the start of the 2026-2027 season, having scored five goals so far to top the club's scoring charts, ahead of Fermin Lopez with three goals, Lamine Yamal with two, and Ademi with one.
Feature in the next round of the Spanish league and the Brazilian star could achieve a remarkable feat that only a handful of Barcelona players have managed throughout the club's history.
Raphinha is producing what could be a record-breaking start, and it hasn't come easy. Two goals against Elche, one against Athletic Bilbao, two against Rayo Vallecano. Three consecutive rounds on the scoresheet.
According to the Spanish newspaper "Mundo Deportivo", 13 players in Barcelona's history have previously scored in the first three rounds. The list drops to just five when it comes to four and five consecutive matches.
Three players scored in the first four consecutive matches: Kubala in the 1953-1954 season, with 8 goals against Real Sociedad, Jaen, Valladolid and Sporting. Cayetano Re managed 5 in 1964-1965, against Las Palmas, Atletico, Deportivo and Murcia. Cesc Fabregas netted 4 in 2011-2012, against Villarreal, Real Sociedad, Osasuna and Valencia.
Only two players stretched it to five consecutive matches. Cesar Rodriguez did it in 1950-1951, scoring 8 goals against Real Sociedad, Atletico, Real Madrid, Murcia and Valencia. Zlatan Ibrahimovic followed in 2009-2010, netting 5 against Sporting, Getafe, Atletico, Racing and Malaga. He was also the first player to manage the feat in his first season in the Spanish league.
Since the start of the twenty-first century, Lionel Messi is the only player to score in four consecutive official matches from the start of the season.
Back in 2011-2012, the Argentine scored in both Spanish Super Cup matches against Real Madrid, netting three goals, then found the net against Porto in the European Super Cup, before scoring twice against Villarreal in the opening matches of the Spanish league.
Messi did it again the following season. In 2012-2013, he scored twice in the Spanish Super Cup against Real Madrid, then struck against Real Sociedad and Osasuna in the league.
Raphinha opened his 2026-2027 account in a 5-0 rout of Elche, sharing the goals with Fermin Lopez, who also scored twice, alongside a strike from Ademi.
Athletic Bilbao were next. Raphinha scored again, Fermin Lopez found the net once more, and Barcelona ran out 2-0 winners.
Against Rayo Vallecano, Raphinha bagged two more. Lamine Yamal opened his account for the season with a brace of his own, while Barcelona's fifth came courtesy of a Lejeune own goal.
