Home / Sports / Raphinha's Ballon d'Or Shock: "I Deserved First Place!"
Raphinha's Ballon d'Or Shock: "I Deserved First Place!"
30 Jan
Summary
- Raphinha expressed surprise and disappointment with his fifth-place Ballon d'Or finish.
- He believes his season's performance and titles warranted first place.
- The player acknowledged Champions League success significantly impacts the award.
Ousmane Dembélé of Paris Saint-Germain secured the prestigious 2025 Ballon d'Or award on September 2025, surpassing Lamine Yamal, a teammate of Raphinha. Raphinha himself finished in fifth place, a result that greatly surprised him.
Speaking to Sofascore, the Brazil international expressed his dismay, stating he anticipated a higher finish, ideally within the top three. Raphinha contended that individual accolades should encompass an entire season's contributions rather than being solely based on one competition, like the Champions League.
He felt his performance, including titles won and statistics achieved, merited the Ballon d'Or. Raphinha recorded 34 goals and 25 assists in 56 appearances as Barcelona clinched LaLiga, the Copa del Rey, and the Spanish Supercopa. He also contributed 13 goals and nine assists in 14 Champions League matches, helping Barcelona reach the semifinals.
However, Raphinha acknowledged the Champions League's significant weight in the award's consideration. He suggested that if the award prioritized the full season, he would have deserved it, ranking Lamine Yamal second and Pedri third, with Dembélé fourth. Nonetheless, he conceded that Dembélé's spectacular season, particularly in the Champions League, justified his win based on the award's criteria.
