Amidst the sadness of defeat in the Champions League, Raphinha achieved great individual success, which was overshadowed by collective tears over a defeat that ended Barça’s dream of a treble in a year to remember. The Brazilian scored the third goal, the one that sparked the comeback. A goal that earned him a place in the history of European competition. That goal brings his tally to 13, in addition to eight assists, making him the player with the most goal contributions in a single Champions League campaign.
It couldn’t have been any other way given the season the Brazilian is having. He had to appear at just the right moment to complete Barça’s comeback, which, in the end, was meaningless on a collective level but meant so much on an individual level.
Even though Raphinha’s goal was disallowed by Inter’s last-minute equalizer, which forced extra time where the Italians sealed the victory, his goal went down in the history of the competition. With that goal, he now has 13 goals and 8 assists in this season’s Champions League.
His 21 goal contributions make him the player with the most goal contributions in a single Champions League season, equaling Cristiano Ronaldo. With his goal, Raphinha also tied Guirassy at the top of the scoring charts with 13 goals.
This is the season of a player who, just a few days ago, made clear his animosity towards Xavi Hernández and his gratitude to Hansi Flick for the confidence he is showing in him. With every game, Raphinha has established himself as Barça’s main chance creator, leading Europe in big chances created with 25.
Another statistic that makes Raphinha’s season outstanding and brings him closer to the Ballon d’Or is his involvement in FC Barcelona’s goals. The Brazilian has been involved in 56 goals for Barça this season. In addition, the number 11 has already scored as many goals in the 2024-25 season as he did in his previous three seasons with Barça and Leeds.
Renewal on the way
With these figures, it is no surprise that Barça are already working to extend the player’s contract. The negotiations with Deco are not easy, as there are discrepancies regarding financial issues and the duration of the contract, but the truth is that both parties are fully committed and an agreement is close, meaning that the player will be able to fight for the Champions League again in the future wearing the Barça shirt.