Raphinha continued his sensational start to the season with a hat-trick against Racing Santander and bet365 are betting on his 2026/27 La Liga goal tally with the firm offering 50/1 about him matching Lionel Messi’s record total of 50 from the 2011/12 campaign.
bet365’s Steve Freeth said: “His treble against Racing has taken Raphinha to nine goals in just six La Liga games and he is odds-on to surpass his highest goals return of 18, which he recorded in 2024/25.
“Lionel Messi is responsible for the highest tally in a La Liga campaign when bagging fifty back in 2011/12, but he had only scored eight in his first six games, compared to Raphinha’s nine.
“However, the Brazilian has a long way to go to be talked about in the same breath as the mercurial Argentine, but half a century of goals would certainly make people sit up and take notice.”
Raphinha was at the forefront of a 7-2 demolition of Racing Santander as Hansi Flick became the first Barcelona manager to win the opening seven competitive matches of a season.
Nine goals in six matches have resulted in Raphinha shortening into 13/8 second favourite behind Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappé in the race to be La Liga top goalscorer, and the Brazilian's goalscoring exploits have also been translated onto the continental stage as he scored a brace in Barcelona's opening UEFA Champions League win against Feyenoord.
Following the departures of Robert Lewandowski and Ferran Torres in the summer, Raphinha has stepped up to the plate as the centre forward Barcelona so desperately needed.
Traditionally a right winger, Raphinha was recast as a number nine by Flick and the 29-year-old has flourished. His relentless pressing, untraceable movement and clinical finishing leave you to wonder whether he should have been deployed as a striker earlier in his career.
Raphinha thrust himself into the Ballon d'Or conversation at the end of the 2024/25 season with 34 goals and 26 assists as Barcelona achieved a domestic treble.
However, with the expectation he would continue to evolve, the Blaugrana captain endured a tough 2025/26 campaign which was interrupted by persistent injury issues.
The Brazilian missed 125 days of action during the domestic season and his availability for Carlo Ancelotti in the World Cup was hampered by the recurrence of a hamstring injury, keeping him sidelined against Scotland, Japan and Norway.
Brazil's premature elimination at the World Cup was arguably to Raphinha's benefit as he spent a month recuperating before reporting for pre-season training at the end of July.
Embracing the responsibility of team leader, a revitalised Raphinha has shown his class in the early stages of the campaign. A brace and an assist against Elche was followed by the opening goal of the game against Athletic Club, and the former Leeds United star scored twice again versus Rayo Vallecano before netting in the 5-0 win over Valencia.
Levante are so far the only side Raphinha has failed to score against this season, but the Barcelona skipper still registered two assists to down Luis Castro's men at the Estadi Ciutat de València.
Raphinha will need to sustain his current scoring rate for the next six months if he's to even get close to Messi's 50-goal record, but in the meantime Barcelona supporters can revel in the form of a player at the top of his game.
Raphinha - La Liga Total Goals odds
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