The player who just surpassed Lionel Messi

Raphinha will remain at Barcelona until 2030. Deco confirmed the Brazilian winger’s contract renewal, along with the renewals of Xavi Espart and Marc Bernal, during the club’s assembly on Saturday.

Barcelona’s captain celebrated the news in the best possible way, scoring a hat-trick in the team’s victory over Sevilla at the Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán.

With his three goals, Raphinha has now reached 12 league goals at the start of the season, an extraordinary tally that gives the Brazilian a chance to enter the history books.

According to Opta, the Seleção forward has already surpassed Lionel Messi’s scoring record for the first seven league matches of a season in the 21st century. The only player with a better record is Cristiano Ronaldo, who scored 13 goals in the first seven league games of the 2014–15 season.