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Barcelona star Raphinha is now three goals away from matching one of Lionel Messi's UEFA Champions League record for the club. The South American maestro has enjoyed a fabulous season for Blaugrana, and his 11 Champions League goals have brought him closer to rarefied air for the Catalan side.
Messi has the record for the most goals scored by a Blaugrana player in a single UEFA Champions League season with 14 strikes in the 2011-12 season. The Brazilian scored his 10th and 11th goals in the competition with his brace against Portuguese giants Benfica, bringing his club tally for this season to 27.
Raphinha is already a rare commodity for the Catalan club. His performances this season have seen him tie legends Ronaldinho and Ronaldo Nazario for two different records. He has equaled Ronaldinho's tally of 14 goals in the Champions League for Barca and has netted 48 times in total for the club, the number of goals Ronaldinho scored for the Blaugrana.
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Raphinha joined Blaugrana in the summer of 2022 from the English side Leeds United for a reported € 58 million. He has scored 47 goals and provided 44 assists in 128 appearances for the Spanish side. He is enjoying a particularly fruitful season under Hansi Flick this campaign, with 27 goals and 19 assists from 41 games.
The Brazilian hopes to match Lionel Messi's goal tally for Barcelona in the competition and help the Catalan side win its first European title in a decade.
Lionel Messi's Barcelona legacy
Lionel Messi is widely believed to be the greatest player in Barcelona and world football history. The Argentine superstar's mercurial talent saw him claim the Ballon d'Or more times than any other player in the prize's history while playing for the club.
Messi came through the Catalan side's famed La Masia academy to become the club's record goalscorer and assist provider. The Argentine star scored 672 goals and provided 303 assists for Blaugrana in 778 appearances for the club. His exploits helped the team to 10 LaLiga titles, seven Copa del Reys, eight Spanish Super Cups, three UEFA Super Cups, three FIFA Club World Cups, and four UEFA Champions Leagues.
Messi was recognized for his exploits with six Ballon d'Or wins, six European Golden Boots, three UEFA Best Player in Europe awards, two Best FIFA Men's Player awards, and nine Player of the Year awards. In the summer of 2021, he left Barcelona on a free transfer after the club's well-documented financial issues prevented them from renewing his contract. He now plays for Inter Miami in the MLS.
