Raphinha was once rumored to be on his way out of FC Barcelona at the start of the 2024–25 season, but under head coach Hansi Flick, the Brazilian forward has delivered the best campaign of his career. With his latest goal against Real Valladolid, Raphinha has equaled an impressive single-season record once held by Neymar.
Barcelona traveled to face already relegated Valladolid in La Liga, entering the match with a 60-point advantage. Despite the disparity, the hosts stunned the visitors with an early goal in the 6th minute. Flick made key adjustments at halftime, and Raphinha helped spark the comeback with a goal in the 54th minute.
That strike brought Raphinha’s season tally to 31 goals and 25 assists in 51 appearances—matching Neymar’s best statistical season with Barcelona. Neymar reached the same numbers during the 2015–16 campaign, but did so in 49 games.
With the second leg of the UEFA Champions League semifinal against Inter Milan and four La Liga fixtures still remaining, Raphinha now has five more opportunities to surpass Neymar’s mark and etch his name even deeper into Barcelona’s record books.
Back in 2015–16, Neymar helped Barcelona win the Spanish Super Cup, Club World Cup, La Liga, and Copa del Rey, though the team fell short in the Champions League quarterfinals. Now in the semifinal stage of Europe’s top tournament, Raphinha has the chance to achieve even more.
see also
Raphinha breaks record surpassing Lionel Messi at Barcelona in the Champions League
Raphinha’s breakthrough season at Barcelona
Raphinha arrived at Camp Nou from Leeds United in 2022 for a reported fee of €60 million, expected to be a key piece in the club’s rebuild. However, his first two seasons fell short of expectations, and he was widely seen as a potential departure heading into this year.
Instead, the 27-year-old flipped the script. His 31 goals this season match his total from the previous three campaigns combined. He scored 10 goals across the 2022–23 and 2023–24 seasons at Barcelona, and 11 in his final season with Leeds in 2021–22. Now thriving under Flick, Raphinha has become one of the most influential players in European soccer—cementing his role not just at Barcelona, but on the global stage.
