Raphinha (foto: Getty Images)
Raphinha has 12 goals in the Champions League this season and is closing in on Lionel Messi’s record of 14 in a single campaign.
Raphinha is enjoying a historic run in the Champions League, with 12 goals so far this season. The Barcelona winger leads the competition’s scoring charts and is on course to challenge the elite single-season records held by Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Messi’s best campaign came in 2011–12, when he scored 14 goals. Raphinha has already matched Messi’s 2018–19 tally of 12, although the Argentine achieved it in 10 games compared to the Brazilian's 11. If Barcelona progresses past Dortmund, Raphinha could have up to three more matches to reach or even surpass Messi’s record — and possibly aim for Ronaldo’s all-time best of 17 goals in 2013–14.
Currently, Raphinha is tied with Erling Haaland, who scored 12 goals in the 2022–23 season, placing him ninth all-time in single-season Champions League goals.
Only five times in the competition’s history has a player scored more than 14 goals in a single season — all involving Cristiano Ronaldo (17 in 2013–14, 16 in 2015–16, and 15 in 2017–18), as well as Robert Lewandowski (15 in 2019–20) and Karim Benzema (15 in 2021–22).
Beyond his goals, Raphinha has also contributed 7 assists, placing him 10th on the all-time list for most assists in a single Champions League campaign. He is currently level with Bruno Fernandes (2021–22), and just one shy of joining a group of seven players who provided 8 assists in one campaign — including David Beckham, James Milner, and Neymar.
Luis Figo holds the record with 9 assists in the 2000–01 season. If Raphinha continues his current form, he could finish the season among the best goalscorers and creators in Champions League history.