Europe’s top five leagues have reached the first international break, and it is already time to take an initial look at the season’s early trends. In this explosive start to the campaign, one name is quite literally overshadowing the competition across the continent’s biggest leagues: Raphinha.

The Brazilian winger has been tearing it up for Barcelona, producing an astonishing scoring rate of 1.71 goals per game: 12 goals in just seven LaLiga appearances. Those remarkable numbers have opened up a significant gap between him and the leading scorers in the other major European leagues.

The race in the other top leagues

In Italy, Donyell Malen leads the scoring charts after making a devastating impact, with six goals in five games and an average of 1.20 goals per match.

In England, Erling Haaland is once again delivering with remarkable consistency, scoring at a rate of one goal per game: four goals in four Premier League appearances. The same average can be found among the leading scorers in the Bundesliga, where a crowded group sits at the top of the scoring charts with four goals in four matches.

The scoring rate is considerably lower in France’s Ligue 1, where the race is much more balanced. Five players share the top spot with four goals in five matches, averaging 0.80 goals per game.

The Ballon d’Or paradox

Although Raphinha has played a few more matches than some of his main competitors, his numbers stand out for their remarkable consistency and extraordinary scoring rate.

That is precisely why another detail makes his start to the season even more striking: the Brazilian was not included among the nominees for the Ballon d’Or, the prestigious award recognizing the world’s best footballer, with the next ceremony scheduled to take place in London on October 22.

An omission that, considering his numbers, is bound to generate debate and makes his extraordinary start to the season even more noteworthy.

The top scorers in Europe’s five major leagues before the international break

LaLiga: Raphinha (Barcelona) – 12 goals in 7 matches (1.71 per game)

Serie A: Donyell Malen (AS Roma) – 6 goals in 5 matches (1.20 per game)

Premier League: Erling Haaland (Manchester City) – 4 goals in 4 matches (1.00 per game)

Bundesliga: Younes Ebnoutalib (Eintracht), Patrik Schick (Leverkusen), Suzuki (Freiburg), Michael Olise (Bayern Munich) and Phillip Tietz (Mainz) – 4 goals in 4 matches (1.00 per game)

Ligue 1: Paris Brunner (Monaco), Ferran Torres (PSG), Doumbia (Brest), Amine Gouiri (Marseille) and Sinayoko (Paris FC) – 4 goals in 5 matches (0.80 per game)