The Ballon d'Or overlooked him: Raphinha responds in the way he knows best
Brazil's Raphinha has carried his remarkable form into the new campaign, taking his attacking contributions to 11 goals in Barcelona's first six matches of the season. It's a start that dwarfs his numbers over the same stretch in the past two seasons and puts him firmly in the race to beat his own records with the Catalan side early on.
According to the Spanish newspaper "Sport", Raphinha boosted his tally against Levante, providing two assists for his teammates Marc Casadó and Lamine Yamal. He has kept up exceptional levels since the opening weekend, whether by scoring or creating.
His flying start follows the 2024-2025 season, the biggest turning point in Raphinha's Barcelona career. He racked up 34 goals and 23 assists, for a total of 57 goal contributions, in Hansi Flick's first season in charge of the technical staff.
Raphinha now plays a role closer to that of an out-and-out striker in some matches, yet he hasn't lost his eye for a pass.
Against Levante, the Brazilian proved it with two assists, having already set up Karim Adeyemi's goal in the 5-0 win over Elche on the opening day of La Liga.
Six matches in, Raphinha has 8 goals and 3 assists to his name, a total of 11 direct contributions. That figure blows past what he managed over the same period last season, when he mustered just 5 contributions from 3 goals and two assists.
He finished last season with 28 goal contributions, scoring 21 and setting up 7, a notable dip compared to the exceptional campaign before it, when he reached 57.
Flick appears to have unlocked the best version of the Brazilian once again by handing him more influential attacking roles, and the numbers show it.
The German coach has praised Raphinha, insisting that at his best he ranks among the finest players in the world.
For all that resounding start, Raphinha still finds himself off the list of 30 Ballon d'Or nominees. The snub has sparked widespread criticism, particularly given the levels and numbers he has produced of late.
