Raphinha Ballon d'Or: The amazing numbers of the Barça winger place him as the big favorite

FC Barcelona practically sealed their Champions League quarter-final tie against Borussia Dortmund with a spectacular thrashing at Montjuïc (4-0). Once again, Raphinha, in Ballon d'Or mode, was a protagonist in the 'Azulgrana' attack, scoring the first goal and adding another pair of assists in the tournament in which he remains the top scorer with 12 goals.

In the 25th minute, the '11' pushed a shot from Pau Cubarsí over the line that goalkeeper Kobel managed to touch with his left glove. The Porto Alegre native took more risks than necessary by making contact with the ball, as he ran the risk of being offside, which would have taken away a certain goal from Barça. Fortunately, the semi-automatic VAR validated his position and, after the match, the winger apologized to his teammate for getting carried away by the desire to score. 

Later, in the second half, Rafa assisted Robert Lewandowski, with a header, to extend the lead in favor of the 'Culés'. The 2-0, just at the start of the second half, overwhelmed Dortmund and, in the 77th minute, the South American forward once again enabled a teammate, this time Lamine Yamal with a cross pass from the left, thus closing the Barça rout. In total, the 27-year-old winger has 12 goals and 7 assists in the current Champions League.

The records that Raphinha could reach in the Champions League with Barça

In this way, Raphinha continues to improve his numbers as a candidate for the Ballon d'Or. The Porto Alegre native has 28 goals and 20 assists in all competitions, only surpassed by Mohamed Salah (32G/22A), but the Egyptian can now only win the Premier League with Liverpool. The Brazilian, on the other hand, aspires to the treble with a Barça leading LaLiga with 8 matchdays to go and a finalist in the Copa del Rey.

In the Champions League, in fact, there are several records that Rafa can break this season. Only Lionel Messi in 2011-12 (14 goals) scored more with Barcelona in the same campaign of the competition (the Argentine also scored 12 goals in 10/11 and 18/19). Against Dortmund, however, the '11' equaled 'La Pulga' as the player with the most participations in goals (19) with the 'Azulgrana' team (19G/7A).

On the other hand, Raphinha can also become the Brazilian with the best season in Europe, surpassing his idols at Barça, Neymar Jr. and Ronaldinho. The 'Culé' winger was just a couple of goals away from equaling the historical top of a 'Verdeamarela' footballer in European competitions (14).

Most goals for a Brazilian player in European competitions in a season:

1. 14 goals: José Altafini, with AC Milan in the European Cup (1962-63) *
2. 13 goals: Arthur Cabral, with Basel in the Conference League (2021-22)
3. 12 goals: Raphinha, with Barcelona in the Champions League (2024-25)
4. 12 goals: Derlei, with Porto in the UEFA Cup (2002-03)*

*They were champions and top scorers of the tournament.