Raphinha nears historic achievement with FC Barcelona

Raphinha, the captain of FC Barcelona, is close to achieving a remarkable milestone in the club's history, as renewing his contract until 2030 could give him the chance to reach eight seasons with the team, making him the second longest-serving Brazilian player after Dani Alves, who spent nine seasons during two spells.

According to the Spanish newspaper "Mundo Deportivo", Raphinha is currently in his fifth season with FC Barcelona, matching the number of seasons spent by his compatriots Evaristo de Macedo, Rivaldo, and Ronaldinho.

In 190 official matches, the player has scored 94 goals and provided 62 assists, nearing the figures of Brazil legends at the club, such as Ronaldinho, who played 207 matches, Rivaldo with 235 matches, and Evaristo with 237 matches.

Raphinha has proven his ability to adapt to the team's requirements, especially during the current season, after the failure to sign Julián Alvarez forced coach Hans Flick to rely on him in the striker position instead of the wing.

The player has delivered impressive results in his new position, scoring 19 goals and providing 3 assists in 13 matches, making the renewal of his contract until 2030 an important step in his career with FC Barcelona.

Despite approaching the number of seasons of his compatriots, breaking Dani Alves' record for the number of matches will remain the toughest challenge, after the latter played 410 matches in the jersey of FC Barcelona.