According to a report by Barca Universal on Sunday November 1, 2026, Barcelona forward Raphinha has matched Lionel Messi's remarkable goalscoring record from the opening 11 matchdays of the 2012-13 La Liga season after his impressive performance against Deportivo Alaves.

The Brazilian international scored twice in the first half of Barcelona's 6-1 victory over Alaves at the Spotify Camp Nou on Saturday, taking his league tally to 15 goals this season.

With that achievement, Raphinha has equalled Messi's record of 15 goals after the opening 11 matchdays of the 2012-13 campaign, when the Argentine was enjoying one of the most prolific periods of his career.

What makes Raphinha's achievement even more impressive is that he has featured in only 10 of Barcelona's league matches this season, starting just nine of them.

Raphinha had struggled to rediscover his best form following an injury sustained during the last international break, but his brace against Alaves demonstrated that he remains a major attacking threat for Hansi Flick's side.

He could even have completed a hat-trick against Alaves, but was substituted early as Barcelona looked to avoid placing unnecessary physical demands on the forward while he continues his recovery.

Meanwhile, Raphinha's impressive scoring form has also placed him at the top of the European Golden Boot race.

He currently leads Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappe, who has scored 11 league goals, while Barcelona teammate Lamine Yamal follows with 10. Manchester City's Erling Haaland is further behind with nine.

Raphinha therefore holds a four-goal advantage over Mbappe, although the Real Madrid forward still has an opportunity to add to his tally.

Despite spending time on the sidelines through injury, the Barcelona star has maintained an outstanding goalscoring record and continues to play a crucial role in Flick's attacking setup.

Matching a milestone achieved by Messi during his extraordinary 2012-13 campaign underlines just how impressive Raphinha's start to the season has been.