Raphinha surpasses Messi, only Ronaldo ahead: Barcelona flying high amid depth issue

At minute 76, Hansi Flick pulled Raphinha off. Barcelona were leading Sevilla 3-1, and the Brazilian captain’s hat-trick had sealed the game. The applause from the stands was not only for a stellar display but also for a historic milestone. Raphinha had reached 12 goals in seven La Liga rounds, surpassing Lionel Messi’s 11 goals in the first seven games of 2026/18. Only Cristiano Ronaldo stands above him, with 13 goals in the opening seven rounds of 2026/15. In the standings, Barcelona have won all seven matches, six points clear of Real Madrid. But such a dazzling number raises a big question: is Raphinha running faster than his own shadow?

The game against Sevilla was not as easy as the score suggests. The first half was tightly contested; Sevilla sat deep and frustrated Barcelona for long spells. Raphinha opened the scoring in the 22nd minute, but the visitors equalized just before halftime to make it 1-1. The turning point came after the break. In the 52nd minute, Lamine Yamal broke down the right flank and set up Raphinha to finish. In the 69th, the script repeated: Yamal assisted, Raphinha converted. The hat-trick was complete, and Flick could afford to withdraw him early for a demanding schedule. This was not a match of early dominance, but a display of patience and in-game adjustment.

Following Barcelona’s matches this season, I notice the key is not how many goals Raphinha scores, but where they come from. Flick’s system still relies on possession and a high defensive line, but the main creative channel is the right flank where Yamal operates. Yamal is not just a passer; he stretches opponents, creates space and delivers decisive balls. Raphinha becomes the final destination of every combination. Against Sevilla, both second-half goals came from the same supply route. Raphinha is not just a scorer; he is the final destination of every right-sided combination Yamal creates. This partnership makes Barcelona far more unpredictable than a side dependent on a single striker.

Opta data confirm Raphinha has surpassed Messi to become the highest scorer in the first seven rounds of a La Liga season in the 21st century, behind only Ronaldo. History, however, suggests early sprints rarely last. Ronaldo finished 2026/15 with 48 goals in 35 games, remarkable but no longer at the 13-in-7 pace. Messi in 2026/18 ended with 34 goals in 36 games, a significant slowdown from his blazing start. That does not mean Raphinha will collapse; it is a reminder that a 12-in-7 conversion rate will almost certainly regress toward the mean. If he maintains this level all season, it would be extraordinary, but the statistical base points to a slower rhythm.

The public may be swept away by the Messi-Ronaldo comparison, but seven rounds is a very small sample. Long-term records are built on consistency, not on an early-season explosion. Raphinha is doing his job very well, but he needs teammates to turn a bright start into a complete season.

Raphinha’s captaincy also deserves proper context. He is no longer a pure winger; he is a leader on the pitch. At 29, he is in the most mature phase of his career. Giving him the armband in a season when Barcelona returned to title-contender status shows Flick’s full trust. The combination of a 29-year-old captain and an 18-year-old talent like Yamal creates a rare leadership axis: one side experience, the other creative spark.

However, the team’s limits lie precisely in that strength. If opponents neutralize the right flank, do Barcelona have a Plan B? Sevilla managed it in the first half, and only when their legs tired did space open up. Raphinha is carrying too large a scoring burden. In a long season, an injury or a dip in form would become a matter of survival. Nobody doubts Barcelona’s class, but a title-winning team needs more than one spearhead. Lewandowski still knows how to score; Ferran Torres and the midfielders need to share the load. Otherwise, the hat-trick against Sevilla will remain an isolated bright spot in a picture with many dark patches.

The match against Atlético next round will be the first true test of this perfect run. Atlético always know how to shut down big stars. If Raphinha is marked out, Barcelona must prove they are not a one-man team. The 12-goal milestone has put him among the best starts in La Liga history, but history also teaches that early sprints rarely decide the long race. The most interesting question now is not whether Raphinha can catch Ronaldo, but whether Barcelona have enough depth to stay top when his scoring fever cools.