"Raphinha diligently and dutifully followed through with the mantra throughout last season. But let's be real with each other, he sowed 61 rows and reaped not even a single sample to show for it. Goals, assists, decisive moments, the output of an elite forward across every competition. Life hasn't been fair to Raphinha since he started his football journey in the infamous 'favela' culture of Brazil. He wasn't always the first pick, or even the last, which only added to the insult."
"But he has come a long way. He put in the work, made his way to Barcelona, and then delivered a near-perfect season for the ages. While that context is enough for the most rudimentary of football fans to root for his cause, it is rather disheartening to see how the Ballon d'Or voting jury conveniently looked past not only the context but his unbelievable 2024-25 season, adjudging the Brazilian to be only the fifth-best player in the world in their collective opinion."
Raphinha committed fully to his craft yet produced no tangible returns in many respects last season despite relentless effort. Early hardship in Brazil's favela culture and being overlooked as a youngster shaped his resilience. He earned a Barcelona move and delivered a near-perfect 2024–25 campaign on merit. Major award juries ranked him only fifth in the Ballon d'Or and again omitted him from FIFA The Best accolades and The Best Men's World XI. Other Barcelona nominees also faced perceived injustices. His European performances included the highest goal contributions in a UEFA Champions League campaign, tied with Cristiano Ronaldo.
Read at Barca Universal
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