Raphinha Reveals His Ultimate Top 5 Brazilian Barcelona Legends
Barcelona and Brazil winger Raphinha shared his selection of the top five Brazilian players to don the famous Blaugrana jersey.
Raphinha stands as the most recent Brazilian talent shining at Barcelona. During the previous campaign, he emerged as a strong Ballon d'Or contender throughout much of the season due to his exceptional displays in both the Champions League and La Liga. While currently sidelined with a persistent hamstring problem, he remains regarded as one of football's elite performers.
When recently questioned by ESPN Brasil, Raphinha was tasked with naming his top five Brazilian Barcelona representatives - a challenging assignment considering the legendary figures who have worn the club's colors.
The 28-year-old selected Neymar, Ronaldinho, Rivaldo, Romário and Ronaldo Nazário as his top five in that particular sequence.
Raphinha's Statistics Against His Top Five Brazilian Barcelona Legends
Player | Appearances | Goals | Assists | Trophies |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Raphinha | 151 | 57 | 53 | 5 |
Neymar | 186 | 105 | 76 | 8 |
Ronaldinho | 207 | 94 | 69 | 5 |
Rivaldo | 235 | 130 | 49 | 4 |
Romário | 65 | 39 | 17 | 2 |
Ronaldo | 49 | 47 | 13 | 3 |
Data courtesy of Transfermarkt
When compared to his chosen legends, Raphinha matches Ronaldinho's trophy haul while wearing Barcelona colors. The 28-year-old ranks fourth in total appearances and has crossed the century mark for combined goals and assists, outperforming both Romário and Ronaldo in this metric.
Raphinha played a crucial role in securing a domestic treble, capturing La Liga, the Copa del Rey, and the Spanish Super Cup. The only silverware that escaped Barcelona's grasp last season was the Champions League, where they were eliminated in the semifinals by Inter Milan.
Among his top five selections, Neymar was the most recent Brazilian to claim a European title. However, Raphinha enjoyed a remarkable European campaign last season. The adaptable forward equaled Cristiano Ronaldo's benchmark for most goal contributions in a single Champions League season with 21. He also established new records for most goal contributions by both a Barcelona player and a Brazilian in the competition's history.
Raphinha could potentially enter this elite conversation should he succeed in helping Barcelona claim their sixth Champions League crown. Despite a challenging initial period in Spain, he has undoubtedly elevated himself to world-class status.