Barcelona forward Raphinha has ignited a debate in the football world after claiming he deserved to win the Ballon d’Or, expressing disappointment over his final ranking in the prestigious individual award.
Speaking to SofaScore, the Brazilian winger admitted he was unhappy with the outcome and felt his individual performances were worthy of higher recognition. “I think the individual trophies should not be based on collective results,” Raphinha said, highlighting his belief that personal achievements should be judged independently of team success.
The 27-year-old revealed that he had hoped to finish at least among the top three candidates for the Ballon d’Or. “I was sad, I was expecting something better. At least I was expecting to be among the Ballon d’Or top three,” he added. Raphinha acknowledged, however, that winning the award was always going to be difficult due to the strong influence of the UEFA Champions League on the voting process.
“I know the chances of winning were very low, since the Champions League has a big influence on this award. That’s why my ranking disappointed me,” he explained.
