He Barcelona They began the season with the intention of strengthening their attack and even tried to sign the Argentine Julián Álvarez, but ultimately failed to incorporate him. The solution, however, seems to have been inside the house: Raphinha The League has started at an overwhelming pace.
The Brazilian has scored five goals in the first three days and has become the main offensive reference for a Barça that counts its games by victories. At 29 years old and with a growing influence within the locker room, the forward faces the challenge of becoming the team’s great scorer.
The offensive situation of the Barça team also changed with the departures of Robert Lewandowski and Ferran Torres. On the last day of the market, Gabriel Jesus also arrived from Arsenal to reinforce the attack.
Raphinha, Barça’s new offensive leader
Gabriel Jesus was asked precisely about his role in an attack that Raphinha currently dominates. The Brazilian responded with praise for his compatriot and made it clear that he comes to Barcelona to help a team that he already considers competitive.
The big unknown will be who will regularly occupy the position of starting scorer. The answer will be known in the coming weeks and everything indicates that Hansi Flick could resort to rotations, especially taking into account the physical problems that Raphinha suffered last season.
The Brazilian arrived at Barcelona in 2022 from Leeds United, after having gone through clubs such as Vitória de Guimarães, Sporting Lisbon and Rennes. His career at Barça took an important turn with the arrival of Flick in 2024.
After a period in which he had begun to become frustrated under the orders of Xavi Hernández, Raphinha found a coach with Flick who gave him a fundamental role in the offensive system. Since then, he became a key player for the German coach and won two consecutive Leagues.
Raphinha also assumes the captain’s armband
The importance of the Brazilian has increased even more this season. Flick has given him the captain’s armband and given him a leading role in the attack, reinforcing his status as one of the leaders of the dressing room.
His demand is also known within the group. Raphinha himself acknowledged last season that he could sometimes be too insistent with his teammates to maintain a certain level of intensity and quality.
Flick, for his part, has publicly defended the striker’s value. The German coach even showed his anger when Raphinha finished fifth in the 2025 Ballon d’Or, behind Ousmane Dembélé and Lamine Yamal, among others.
Marc Bernal also highlighted his influence on the team and especially among the younger players. For the midfielder, Raphinha is an example for his closeness, personality and clarity about what he wants to achieve.
Five goals to start the season
Raphinha started the League making his intentions clear. In the 5-0 win against Elche he scored two goals and found the goal again on the second day, during the 2-0 victory against Athletic.
His most recent performance was once again decisive. In the 5-2 victory against Rayo Vallecano, the Brazilian attacker scored two more goals to reach five in just three games.
Maintaining this pace will be difficult. The next rivals can propose tighter defenses and demand different solutions from Barça in attack. Even so, Raphinha has already left a strong declaration of intent.
The next challenge will be Carlos Corberán’s Valencia in Mestalla. The match will be a different test for Barcelona, but also a new opportunity for Raphinha to confirm that he is ready to take on the role of Barça’s main scorer and offensive leader.
