Barcelona and Brazil star Raphinha revealed his top five Brazilians to put on the iconic Blaugrana colors.
Raphinha is the latest Brazilian dazzling for Barcelona. Last season, he was considered a Ballon d’Or favorite for most of the year given his performances in the Champions League and La Liga. He’s currently recovering from a nagging hamstring injury, though he is still considered one of the best players in the world.
Raphinha was asked recently by ESPN Brasil to list his top five Brazilians to play for Barcelona, a difficult task given the legends to represent the club.
The 28-year-old named Neymar, Ronaldinho, Rivaldo, Romário and Ronaldo Nazário as his top five in order.
|
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 |
Statistics per Transfermarkt
Raphinha, next to the names he mentioned, is tied with Ronaldinho in terms of trophies won in Blaugrana colors. The 28-year-old has the fourth-most appearances and eclipsed the 100 goal contribution mark surpassing Romário and Ronaldo.
Raphinha was a pivotal piece in delivering a domestic treble winning La Liga, the Copa del Rey and Spanish Super Cup. The one trophy that eluded Barcelona last season was the Champions League exiting the competition in the semifinals against Inter Milan.
The last Brazilian among his top five to deliver a European cup was Neymar. Though, Raphinha had a historic campaign in Europe last season. The versatile winger matched Cristiano Ronaldo’s record for most goal contributions in a single campaign at 21. He also holds the records for most goal contributions by a Barcelona player and a Brazilian player in the Champions League.
Raphinha could find himself in the conversation one day if he ends up lifting Barcelona’s sixth Champions League trophy. His start to life in Spain might have gotten off to a rocky start, but there’s no doubt he’s risen to superstar status.
