Neymar Slams Raphinha’s 2025 Ballon d’Or Ranking With Strong Words
- Santos and Brazil star Neymar stunned fans by openly questioning Raphinha’s surprising Ballon d’Or 2025 ranking
- Barcelona stars may have missed the top prize, but they still dominated the Paris awards on September 22
- Ousmane Dembele claimed the 2025 Ballon d’Or, with Lamine Yamal failing to offer any tough competition, according to the award organisers
The 2025 Ballon d’Or ceremony in Paris sparked waves of reaction across the football world, and Neymar did not hold back in expressing his disbelief at the results.
While Lamine Yamal’s father was visibly upset at his son missing out to Ousmane Dembele, the Brazilian superstar was particularly surprised to see his compatriot Raphinha finish only fifth, behind Vitinha and Mohamed Salah.
Source: Getty Images
At the Théâtre du Châtelet, Dembele etched his name into history as the sixth French player to claim football’s most prestigious individual honour, narrowly edging out Barcelona’s rising star Lamine Yamal, according to L'Equipe.
Meanwhile, fellow Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Vitinha secured third place, Salah claimed fourth, and Raphinha rounded out the top five, a placement that left Neymar clearly unimpressed.
Raphinha Ballon d’Or ranking sparks Neymar reaction
The Brazilian forward voiced his astonishment online, reacting to a post highlighting the top 10 rankings.
According to Neymar, as featured by RMC Sport, Raphinha’s impressive season should have seen him ranked higher, especially after scoring 34 goals and providing 25 assists in 57 appearances across all competitions.
''Raphinha fifth?, It is a joke.''
See a post of his reaction below:
His contributions, alongside teammate Lamine Yamal, were instrumental in Barcelona’s domestic dominance, helping the club lift La Liga, the Copa del Rey, and the Spanish Super Cup.
Neymar’s vocal support for fellow Brazilians is not new. Last year, he campaigned for Vinicius Jr., praising his performances and urging recognition for the Real Madrid star, who eventually finished runner-up to Manchester City's Rodri.
Source: Getty Images
Despite missing out on the men’s award, Barcelona still left Paris with significant accolades as Yamal and Vicky Lopez were honoured with the Kopa Trophy for Best Young Player.
Also, as reported by France Football, Aitana Bonmati secured a historic third consecutive Women’s Ballon d’Or, and Polish striker Ewa Pajor claimed the Women’s Gerd Müller Trophy.
Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) also made history as the men’s club of the year, while coach Luis Enrique was named best coach, taking home the Johan Cruyff Trophy.
See a clip of PSG's performance below:
The Spanish boss enjoyed a historic 2024/25 season with PSG, leading the club to an unprecedented quadruple that included Ligue 1, the domestic cups, and most notably, the Champions League, making him the first manager ever to lift Europe’s top club trophy for the French side.
Ballon d'Or prize money
In an earlier report, YEN.com.gh explored whether Ousmane Dembele received any prize money for his 2025 Ballon d’Or triumph, providing a detailed look into how the award operates financially.
The piece also explained how players’ contracts and performance bonuses can influence the actual monetary gain from winning football’s most prestigious individual honour.
Source: YEN.com.gh
