Barcelona star Raphinha likes social media post suggesting he will not win the Ballon d'Or this year
Brazil international Raphinha has liked an Instagram reel that hinted that he might miss out on the Ballon d'Or this year. The video indicated that history would repeat and like his compatriots Vinicius Jr. and Neymar, the Barcelona star will not get his hands on the coveted trophy.
While Neymar finished in third place (behind Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo) in 2015 and 2017, Vinicius lost the title to Rodri in 2024.
The Instagram reel that Raphinha liked shows Vinicius and Neymar's best performances but ends with others winning the award. The caption read (via Madrid Zone's X handle):
“I think history will repeat itself, unfortunately.”
Thr Barcelona star was among the favorites for the Ballon d'Or earlier in the 2024-25 season but fell down the order later. Lamine Yamal and Ousmane Dembele seem to be the frontrunners, with Vitinha, Nuno Mendes, and Mohamed Salah also involved.
France Football have not started the voting process yet but have announced the date for the gala. They will hold the event in Paris on October 28, and the Top 30 should be announced at the start of the 2025-26 season.
When Thierry Henry backed Raphinha for Ballon d'Or 2025
Former player Thierry Henry spoke on CBS Sports in March this year and opined that Raphinha was the top contender for the Ballon d'Or. He added that the Brazilian star performed admirably in the UEFA Champions League.
Henry said (via GOAL):
"Raphinha is ahead for me now, he is ahead because of what he is doing in the Champions League. He has 11 goals in the Champions League. Mo Salah is a great contender for it, Kane is a contender and [Ousmane] Dembele. It depends if you perform in the Champions League, on top of winning your league. Raphinha is on a lot of goals and with only one penalty."
He continued:
"I am not saying that Kane and Salah should not be having penalties. Mo Salah is having a season in the Premier League that we will never see again. I am saying that if a guy has virtually the same amount of goals as you guys scored, without penalties, I am not going to say that is bad what you did - it is outstanding - but this guy I have to talk a bit more about him."
"Raphinha, when people talk about being complete as a striker, you need to know about putting on pressure, defending, and helping your full-back. And he has it all," he added.
The 28-year-old Brazilian could not help Barcelona win the UEFA Champions League in the 2024-25 season, as they were knocked out in the semifinals by Inter Milan. The Italian side were then thrashed 5-0 in the final by Paris Saint-Germain (PSG).