Barcelona captain Raphinha has admitted he was upset after failing to finish in the top three of the 2025 Ballon d’Or, despite what he described as an outstanding season.
The Brazilian winger finished fifth in the final rankings, with Ousmane Dembele winning the award following PSG’s treble-winning campaign. Raphinha’s Barcelona teammate Lamine Yamal finished second, while PSG midfielder Vitinha completed the podium.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with SofaScore, Raphinha said:
“I was upset. I expected more. I expected to be in the top 3 at least. I knew winning would be difficult because the Champions League weighs a lot. So I was upset with the position I ended in.”
“But I understand it involves many things I cannot control. Many things that are complicated to keep highlighting. What I can say is that I’m very satisfied with the season I had and no individual award will erase what I did last season.”
When asked who he believed should have finished in the top three, Raphinha added:
“Myself, personally, I would place myself first. I would place myself in first place! It is my understanding that an individual award cannot be based on a single competition.”
“Based on that, I think I deserved to be first for what I delivered during the season, for the titles I won, for the numbers I achieved, and for everything I contributed on the pitch. I think I deserved to win.”
Raphinha also acknowledged the seasons enjoyed by his rivals, saying:
“As it is an award that is practically based on a single competition, Dembele deserved to win, especially since he also had a spectacular season. Lamine also had a spectacular season.”
“But, in my view, if it were something based on the season itself, I think I deserved to win the award.”
He added that, in his own ranking, Lamine Yamal and Pedri would have finished second and third, with Dembele placed fourth.