Raphinha’s hat-trick in Barcelona’s 7-2 win over Racing Santander took him to nine La Liga goals in six matches, matching a scoring start last achieved by Lionel Messi in 2017.
Raphinha reaches Messi-level milestone after stunning hat-trick
Raphinha has reached one of the most impressive scoring milestones of his Barcelona career after his hat-trick in the 7-2 victory over Racing Santander.
The Brazilian now has nine goals after Barcelona’s first six La Liga matches of the 2026/27 season.
That matches the same total Lionel Messi reached after six league games during the 2017/18 campaign.
No Barcelona player had produced the same start in the nine years since Messi.
Raphinha reaches nine goals in six matches
Raphinha entered the Racing match already in excellent form.
He had scored six La Liga goals before kick-off.
Then came another huge performance.
Raphinha scored three times as Barcelona beat Racing Santander 7-2.
His hat-trick took his league total to nine goals in only six appearances.
It also moved him back to the top of the La Liga scoring chart.
Raphinha matches Messi’s 2017/18 start
The nine-goal total creates a special connection with Lionel Messi.
During the 2017/18 season, Messi also scored nine times in Barcelona’s first six La Liga matches.
Raphinha is the first Barcelona player since Messi to reach that number at the same stage of a league season.
Messi eventually finished that campaign with 34 La Liga goals.
He also won the league’s top scorer award.
Raphinha still has a long season ahead, but his early numbers have placed him alongside one of Barcelona’s greatest-ever scorers.
A hat-trick that changed the scoring race
Raphinha’s three goals did more than create a Messi milestone.
They also changed the battle at the top of the La Liga scoring chart.
Kylian Mbappé had briefly moved ahead after scoring for Real Madrid against Elche.
But Raphinha responded with a hat-trick only around 24 hours later.
The Brazilian moved to nine league goals, while Mbappé remained on seven.
It was a powerful response from the Barcelona forward.
Raphinha’s fourth Barcelona hat-trick
The Racing performance also brought another personal milestone.
It was Raphinha’s fourth hat-trick for Barcelona.
His previous three came against Valladolid, Bayern Munich and Sevilla.
The latest one may be even more important because of the records attached to it.
It pushed him back to the top of the scoring chart and placed him alongside Messi’s famous start.
Even stronger numbers in all competitions
Raphinha’s form has not been limited to La Liga.
Across all competitions, he has already reached 11 goals in seven matches this season.
That is one of the strongest scoring starts of his career.
He has also continued to contribute with assists and movement in Barcelona’s attack.
His importance to Hansi Flick’s team continues to grow.
Raphinha has scored in five of six league matches
The most impressive part of Raphinha’s start may be his consistency.
He has found the net in five of Barcelona’s first six La Liga matches.
Levante are the only league opponent to stop him from scoring so far.
Against Racing, he once again showed how dangerous he has become inside the penalty area.
His movement and finishing gave Barcelona another major attacking advantage.
Barcelona’s attack continues to dominate
Raphinha’s scoring run is part of an incredible attacking start from Barcelona.
The Catalan club have won all six of their opening La Liga matches.
They have already scored 28 league goals.
Raphinha alone has scored nine of them.
Lamine Yamal has also contributed seven league goals, giving Barcelona two of the most dangerous attackers in Spain.
Raphinha refuses to stop improving
Despite his incredible numbers, Raphinha has remained careful when speaking about his form.
After the Racing match, he said he does not want to call this the best version of himself.
Instead, he wants to keep improving and helping Barcelona win more matches.
That mentality may be important as the season continues.
A milestone that puts Raphinha next to Messi
Comparisons with Messi are never easy for any Barcelona player.
But this latest statistic is clear.
Lionel Messi, 2017/18: 9 goals after 6 La Liga matches.
Raphinha, 2026/27: 9 goals after 6 La Liga matches.
Nine years after Messi produced that incredible start, Raphinha has finally matched it.
And after his hat-trick against Racing Santander, the Brazilian is showing that his best football may still be ahead of him.
