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Given what she has shown, is Raphinha being treated unfairly? |
With 38 goals and 23 assists in just 66 matches, the Brazilian winger not only led Barcelona to victory in La Liga, the Copa del Rey, and the Spanish Super Cup, but also became the top scorer and top assist provider in the 2024/25 Champions League – an unprecedented achievement since Messi in 2015.
Numbers don't lie.
These statistics not only confirm Raphinha's talent but also raise a big question: Why was he only ranked 5th at the 2025 Ballon d'Or, behind Ousmane Dembele, Lamine Yamal, Vitinha, and Mohamed Salah?
Globo believes that with his record-breaking achievements, Raphinha deserves the world's most prestigious individual award. Since Messi and Ronaldo left top-level European football, no player has surpassed the milestone of 60 direct goal contributions (assists + goals) like Raphinha (61 times).
Previously, only Messi (91 assists + goals in the 2011/12 season) and Ronaldo (61 assists + goals in the 2014/15 season) had reached this milestone. Last season was Raphinha's personal peak, and a testament to the Brazilian's complete dominance in terms of statistics.
With an average of 0.92 direct goal contributions per game – higher than anyone else in the top 10 Ballon d'Or nominees – Raphinha is a true "goal-scoring machine," combining speed, technique, and creativity.
Compared to Dembele (35 goals + 16 assists), Raphinha surpasses him in individual performance and records. Yamal only has 18 goals + 25 assists. Vitinha and Salah also haven't achieved the perfect combination of goals, assists, and titles that Raphinha has.
His ranking at number 5, after breaking the records of Messi and Ronaldo, sparked controversy about the fairness of the award. Many Brazilian football experts even believe Raphinha could win the 2025 Ballon d'Or if goals and assists were considered the key criteria.
Is there prejudice against Brazilian players?
His consistency, explosive ability in crucial matches, and outstanding statistics made Raphinha no less capable than rivals like Dembele or Yamal. Although Barcelona couldn't win the Champions League, being eliminated in the semi-finals by Inter Milan, Raphinha remained the heart and soul of the team's journey.
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Raphinha and her family attended the Ballon d'Or awards ceremony. |
Raphinha scored and assisted in big matches, from a hat-trick against Bayern Munich, 5 goals in 3 games against Benfica, to goals and assists against Dortmund and Inter Milan. Even in the Champions League, Dembele's performance in the knockout stages was inferior to Raphinha's.
On his personal page, Neymar called Raphinha's fifth-place finish "a big joke" after the awards ceremony at the Chatelet Theatre in Paris. Neymar's displeasure is also a continuation of the controversy surrounding the fairness of the Ballon d'Or voting, especially for Brazilian players.
Previously, Neymar himself was ranked 9th in 2020, and Vinicius Junior only came in 2nd in 2024. This sparked heated debate, with many suggesting a conspiracy targeting Brazilian players in recent years.
It's worth remembering that in the women's category, Aitana Bonmati of Barcelona won her third consecutive Ballon d'Or, despite not winning the Euro or the Champions League last year. Bonmati beat Mariona Caldentey and Alessia Russo, both of whom won the Euro and Champions League double with England and Arsenal respectively.
Despite Barcelona's women's team losing to Arsenal and Spain's national team losing to England in the finals, Bonmati was still chosen by journalists for her outstanding performances. If Bonmati won the Ballon d'Or even without winning the Champions League or the European Championship, why couldn't Raphinha?
Is there a "double standard" in the 2025 Ballon d'Or voting?
Source: https://znews.vn/neymar-phan-no-vi-tro-dua-mang-ten-raphinha-post1587944.html
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