Raphinha smashes "the amazing seven" record: two laps around the world in 98 days
Barcelona star Raphinha of Brazil is in Singapore to play two friendly matches with his national team, before ending the current month by travelling to Azerbaijan and La Coruña with Barcelona.
According to Mundo Deportivo, Raphinha doesn't wear a hat or a bow tie like cartoon hero Willy Fog (Around the World with Willy Fog). But he's already blown past that famous 80-day lap of the planet.
By the time he gets back from La Coruña, where he faces Deportivo La Coruña at the Riazor for the first time on 29 November, Raphinha will have clocked up roughly two full trips around the globe in 98 days.
Since 23 August, when Barcelona opened their La Liga campaign against Elche, the winger has racked up a total of 76,761 kilometres on his travels for club and country.
A lap of the world along the equator covers 40,075 kilometres at its shortest. Raphinha, then, has circled the planet almost twice in a little over three months, soaking up the physical toll of all that travel for a player who knows only one way to play: flat out.
Three muscle injuries across his last three Brazil appearances set alarm bells ringing. They led to an agreement with coach Carlo Ancelotti to manage his minutes.
Late September brought more trouble. After 18,350 kilometres and two friendlies in Australia, Raphinha picked up a muscle oedema in his right thigh.
He didn't play again for two weeks, returning against Real Betis, then managing just an hour against Paris Saint-Germain. A week earlier he had sat out the 4,468-kilometre round trip to Istanbul for the game against Galatasaray.
Just five days after flying home from Singapore, he's off to Azerbaijan with Barcelona for a UEFA Champions League tie, jet lag and all. That adds another 7,916 kilometres.
Then comes a 2,170-kilometre trip to La Coruña. For all those air miles, Raphinha has still found a way to score 19 goals in a Barcelona shirt this season.
All of Raphinha's trips
- 23 August: Barcelona – Elche: 530 kilometres.
- 23 August: Elche – Barcelona: 530 kilometres.
- 5 September: Barcelona – Valencia: 348 kilometres.
- 6 September: Valencia – Barcelona: 348 kilometres.
- 12 September: Barcelona – Valencia: 348 kilometres.
- 13 September: Valencia – Barcelona: 348 kilometres.
- 19 September: Barcelona – Seville: 993 kilometres.
- 19 September: Seville – Barcelona: 993 kilometres.
- 21 September: Barcelona – Townsville: 15,873 kilometres.
- 26 September: Townsville – Melbourne: 2,477 kilometres.
- 30 September: Melbourne – Barcelona: 16,827 kilometres.
- 16 October: Barcelona – Seville: 993 kilometres.
- 18 October: Seville – Barcelona: 993 kilometres.
- 19 October: Barcelona – Paris: 1,038 kilometres.
- 20 October: Paris – Barcelona: 1,038 kilometres.
- 8 November: Barcelona – Madrid: 626 kilometres.
- 8 November: Madrid – Barcelona: 626 kilometres.
- 11 November: Barcelona – Singapore: 10,873 kilometres.
- 18 November: Singapore – Barcelona: 10,873 kilometres.
- 23 November: Barcelona – Baku: 3,958 kilometres.
- 25 November: Baku – Barcelona: 3,958 kilometres.
- 28 November: Barcelona – La Coruña: 1,085 kilometres.
- 29 November: La Coruña – Barcelona: 1,085 kilometres.
Total distance for Barcelona matches: 19,838 kilometres.
Total distance for Brazil matches: 53,923 kilometres.
Total distance for Barcelona and Brazil: 76,761 kilometres.
