Raphinha Breaks Silence on Ballon d’Or Hopes After Ronaldo’s Blunt Take
Barcelona winger Raphinha has made a revealing statement about his Ballon d’Or ambitions, just days after Cristiano Ronaldo criticized the credibility of individual awards in modern football.
With the 2024/25 season now concluded, anticipation is building ahead of the 2025 Ballon d’Or ceremony, set for September 22 in Paris. Raphinha, who was instrumental in Barcelona’s La Liga triumph and Champions League semi-final run, is one of the standout names in the conversation.
Despite his strong season, the Brazilian international appears unsure about his chances especially given the fierce competition from Lamine Yamal, Ousmane Dembélé, and Mohamed Salah.
Fans took note when Raphinha liked a social media post that suggested history might repeat itself, with another Brazilian just like Neymar or Vinicius Jr. in years past missing out on the Ballon d’Or despite a deserving campaign. The gesture hinted at Raphinha’s quiet acknowledgment of how difficult it is for Brazilian stars to clinch the honor.
This moment came soon after Cristiano Ronaldo, a five-time Ballon d’Or winner, publicly questioned the relevance of such awards.
There’s no real consensus anymore, Ronaldo said. “I think whoever wins the Champions League deserves it, but I’ve stopped placing much value on individual awards. I know what goes on behind the scenes.”
Ronaldo mentioned Yamal, Dembele, and Vitinha as possible winners, but emphasized that personal accolades have lost meaning for him.
Currently, Dembele leads the bookmakers’ odds after a 32-goal season with PSG, followed closely by Yamal. Vitinha, meanwhile, has surged up the rankings after helping Portugal win the Nations League and receiving glowing praise from PSG manager Luis Enrique, who labeled him “irreplaceable.”
Latest Ballon d’Or Betting Odds (Oddschecker):
* **Ousmane Dembele – 4/9
* **Lamine Yamal – 2/1
* **Vitinha – 12/1
* **Kylian Mbappe – 16/1
* **Mohamed Salah – 25/1
* **Raphinha** – 25/1
* **Gianluigi Donnarumma – 50/1
* **Pedri – 50/1
* **Khvicha Kvaratskhelia – 66/1
* **Désiré Doué – 66/1
* **Achraf Hakimi – 66/1
