Featured Image Credit: Anas Bukhash
Topics: Football, Ronaldinho, Raphinha, Lamine Yamal
Nasir Jabbar
Ronaldinho has snubbed Raphinha when naming his favourite for the 2025 Ballon d'Or.
Raphinha is among the contenders to win this year's individual prize following his stellar performances for Barcelona last season.
He scored an impressive 34 goals across all competitions in the 2024/25 term, including 13 goals in his side's Champions League campaign.
Despite being a fellow countryman, Ronaldinho opted to name another player when discussing who should win the Ballon d'Or.
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He has backed Lamine Yamal to win his first Ballon d'Or award of his budding career.
The Brazilian said he loves watching the teenage phenom play because he's 'inventive'. He has tipped him to become a 'huge star' if he continues to work hard.
"He's a precocious talent. I love watching him because he’s inventive," Ronaldinho told L’Equipe. "If he continues to work hard, he’ll become a huge star. The next Ballon d’Or winner, for sure."
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Like club colleague Raphinha, Yamal also enjoyed a spectacular campaign last season, which preceded his heroics at the 2024 Euros.
He inspired Spain to Euros glory and shone in the 2024/25 season, weighing in with 18 goals.
Ronaldo is no stranger to winning the Ballon d'Or, having won five of them during his legendary career.
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But he hasn't won the prestigious honour since 2017 and now believes individual awards are 'irrelevant'.
But the 40-year-old reckons whoever wins the Champions League should win the Ballon d'Or, seemingly putting forward the likes of Ousmane Dembele, Vitinha and Achraf Hakimi.
"The individual awards have lost some consensus; I can’t say anything about who should win," he said in a press conference.
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"In my opinion, those who stand out and win the Champions League should win. But there is no consensus. I don’t believe much in individual awards because I know what goes on behind the scenes. Lamine could win, like Dembele or Vitinha, other emerging players... But individual awards are irrelevant."
Mbappe is yet to win the Ballon d'Or, coming closest in 2023 when he finished third behind eventual winner Lionel Messi and Erling Haaland.
He appears unlikely to win the award this year but has shared his thoughts on who should win it.
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Mbappe said: "Would I vote for Dembele [to win the 2025 Ballon d’Or]? Yes. I don’t think it needs much explaining.
"People are talking about Lamine Yamal and Dembélé, but my choice is clear: I vote for Dembele."