‘I deserved the Ballon d’Or’ — Barcelona star Raphinha questions awards metrics

Raphinha has openly questioned how football’s biggest individual awards are decided, insisting personal performance should outweigh team success.

The Barcelona winger admitted disappointment with his Ballon d’Or ranking, despite producing one of the most prolific seasons of his career.

Speaking about the outcome, Raphinha made it clear he felt hard done by in the final standings. “In my opinion, I deserved the Ballon d’Or. I believe individual trophies should not be based on collective results. But since that is the case, the award rightly goes to Dembele,” he said.

The Brazilian also revealed his frustration at finishing outside the top three. “I was disappointed. I expected something better.

“At the very least, I thought I would be among the top three. I knew my chances of winning were very low, as the Champions League has a huge influence on this award. So my ranking was disappointing for me,” Raphinha added.

Despite acknowledging the impact of team success on the voting, Raphinha’s comments underline a broader debate in football about whether individual brilliance is being overshadowed by collective achievements in major tournaments.

Raphinha’s case is backed by remarkable numbers. He enjoyed a record-breaking Champions League campaign, scoring 13 goals and providing eight assists as Barcelona reached the semi-finals.

Across all competitions in the 2024/25 season, he registered 34 goals and 22 assists in 57 games, underlining his importance to the Catalan giants.

However, the Ballon d’Or ultimately went to Paris Saint-Germain forward Ousmane Dembele, who finished ahead of Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal and PSG teammate Vitinha. Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah placed fourth, with Raphinha completing the top five.

Dembele’s own tally of 35 goals and 14 assists for PSG proved decisive in the eyes of voters, but Raphinha’s comments suggest he believes his all-round contribution merited greater recognition.