Raphinha has spoken his heart about the Ballon d’Or disappointment ahead of FC Barcelona’s away clash against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. The La Liga winger finished fifth in the 2025 rankings as he marked his first appearance on the shortlist. The player had a stunning season where he contributed significantly to the Spanish giants' success with 34 goals and 26 assists in 57 matches.
However, despite his outstanding performance, the player was ranked below teammate Lamine Yamal and expressed his disappointment about not receiving the recognition as compared to other players. The 28-year-old believes he deserved a different level and recognition.
‘I deserved…’: FC Barcelona’s Raphinha opens up on Ballon d’Or disappointment
As the Lal Liga side returns to Stamford Bridge, Raphinha addressed the media ahead of the UCL clash. During the conversation, he said:
“You journalists should be giving me explanations… I deserved much more. Yes, I felt undervalued.”
Raphinha further made it clear:
“These are individual awards, and collectively we missed the Champions League — that’s what we want.”
The Barcelona star further, with an ironic laugh, told the reporter that he can only control what happens on the pitch and not the ones who vote. The Brazilian also stated that he did everything he could do and will continue to do better in the future.
Ousmane Dembele of Paris Saint-Germain was the winner of the 2025 Men’s Ballon d’Or. The 28-year-old was named ahead of Lamine Yamal and Paris club-mate Vitinha to complete a memorable campaign. Yamal was ranked second, followed by Vitinha and Mohamed Salah.
Meanwhile, Barcelona, the five-time Champions, are 11th in the UCL table while the two-time champions, Chelsea, sit one step down on 12th.
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