• Football
  • Boxing
  • UFC
  • Home
  • Football
    • England
    • Transfer News
    • Premier League
    • Champions League
    • Lionel Messi
    • Cristiano Ronaldo
    • EA FC 25
    • Wrexham
  • Boxing
    • Tyson Fury
    • Anthony Joshua
    • Oleksandr Usyk
    • Mike Tyson
    • Jake Paul
    • Logan Paul
  • UFC
    • Dana White
    • Conor McGregor
    • Khabib Nurmagomedov
    • Jon Jones
    • Paddy Pimblett
    • Joe Rogan
  • Other Sport
    • Athletics
    • Formula 1
    • MMA
    • Motorsport
    • NBA
    • Darts
    • NFL
    • Snooker
    • Wrestling
    • Tennis
    • Cricket
    • Golf
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • LADbible
  • UNILAD
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
Snapchat
TikTok
YouTube
Raphinha names six players who could beat him to 2025 Ballon d'Or including THREE Real Madrid stars

Home> Football> Football News

Published 17:10 6 May 2025 GMT+1

Raphinha names six players who could beat him to 2025 Ballon d'Or including THREE Real Madrid stars

Raphinha is one of the contenders to be nominated for the 2025 Ballon d'Or award.

Ryan Smart

Ryan Smart

Barcelona star Raphinha has named six players who could beat him to the 2025 Ballon d'Or - including three Real Madrid.

The Brazil winger has been labelled as a strong contender to win the trophy after his incredible season with Barcelona.

He has scored 19 goals and provided 14 assists in domestic competitions - but it is his performances thus far in the Champions League that have most caught the eye.

Advert

Raphinha has scored 12 goals and added a further nine assists in just 13 matches - the most total goal contributions out of any player in the competition.

Barca can progress to the final on Tuesday night as they take on Inter Milan in the second leg of their semi-final clash at San Siro.

Typically, the 28-year-old played a key role in the 3-3 draw in the first leg, with his superb 30-yard curling effort crashing off the crossbar before hitting the back of Inter goalkeeper Yann Sommer and rolling over the line.

He also provided the assist for Ferran Torres to make it 2-2 in the first half after Barca had gone 2-0 down to Simone Inzaghi's side.

Heading into the second leg, Raphinha has named the six players he believes could argue they have had a better season than him in the race for the Ballon d'Or.

Advert

The winner of the award will, as ever, largely be based on whichever team wins the Champions League - but the Brazilian named three players from already-eliminated Real Madrid as well.

Speaking in an interview with Brazilian journalist Isabela Pagliari, he said: "Ballon d'Or? Lamine [Yamal], Salah, Mbappe too.

"Pedri, for me, one of the best players in the world.

"Vinicius, for me, is always a candidate, even if his numbers are slightly below last year.

"And, of course, Rodrygo would be considered. He's spectacular, phenomenal, out of the ordinary, one of the best I've ever seen."

Advert

While Vinicius and Rodrygo have played for Real throughout the past 12 months, Mbappe only signed for Los Blancos on a free transfer from Paris Saint-Germain in the summer - meaning he would be nominated for the Ballon d'Or as a player of both clubs.

Salah, meanwhile, has enjoyed his best-ever Premier League season, scoring 28 goals and providing 18 assists in just 35 appearances - though it remains to be seen whether league champions Liverpool's exit from the Champions League at the last 16 stage to PSG will affect his chances.

And Raphinha's team-mates Pedri and Lamine Yamal have both been in incredible form this season, with Yamal recently moving ahead of the Brazilian to be named as the favourite to win the 2025 Ballon d'Or award

Featured Image Credit: YouTube/Isabela Pagliari

Topics: Barcelona, Raphinha, Ballon d'Or, Champions League, Real Madrid

Ryan Smart
Ryan Smart

Live in constant hope of the top flight as a Preston North End fan. Written in the past for SPORF, GiveMeSport and more.

Advert

Advert

Advert

  • Odds slashed on shock name winning 2025 Ballon d'Or who Raphinha didn't include in his six biggest rivals
  • Mo Salah tipped to win 2025 Ballon d'Or after '1000 IQ' move from Liverpool star
  • Barcelona's Gavi snubs Yamal and Raphinha when naming shock player he believes should win 2025 Ballon d'Or
  • Toni Kroos names the three players who deserve the Ballon d'Or over him

Choose your content:

6 mins ago
an hour ago
2 hours ago
  • 6 mins ago

    Xabi Alonso 'personally requests' former Man United star as one of his first signings at Real Madrid

    The Bayer Leverkusen boss has been mooted as Carlo Ancelotti's successor at Real Madrid.

    Football
  • an hour ago

    Highest-paid Championship players revealed as Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney plan to gatecrash top 10 with Wrexham transfer

    The North American pair took over the soon-to-be Championship club in February 2021.

    Football
  • an hour ago

    Paddy Pimblett goes on huge Trent Alexander-Arnold rant and reveals exactly what will happen if he attends Liverpool title parade

    The UFC star names two players who are more 'scouse' than Alexander-Arnold

    Football
  • 2 hours ago

    Liverpool have 'noticed' player behaving like Trent Alexander-Arnold and are 'afraid' he'll follow right-back to Real Madrid

    Trent Alexander-Arnold is expected to sign for Real Madrid this summer.

    Football