“Most disrespectful thing”, “Robbed off from him” - Fans in disbelief as 33-year-old finishes above Barcelona ace in 2025 Men’s Ballon d’Or rankings

Fans on X are not pleased with Raphina's position in the 2025 Ballon d’Or rankings. The Barcelona forward finished fifth behind Liverpool's Mohammed Salah.

Raphina enjoyed a successful 2024-25 season with La Blaugrana. The 28-year-old propelled his team to a domestic treble of the league, Copa del Rey, and Super Copa de España. He produced an exceptional individual performance, recording an impressive 59 goal contributions - 34 goals and 25 assists - in 57 games across competitions.

Raphinha notably led the UEFA Champions League goals and assists charts with 13 goals and nine assists, respectively. He was also named LaLiga's Best Player of the Season.

The Brazilian forward was one of the frontrunners for the Ballon d’Or at some point in the season. However, at the award ceremony held on Monday, September 22, at the Théâtre du Châtelet, Raphinha failed to make a podium finish. He was surprisingly ranked below Salah.

The Egyptian winger also had a remarkable season with Liverpool. He scored 34 goals and set up 23 more in 53 games across competitions, but won only the Premier League with the Reds.

Some fans on X believe that Raphinha deserved a better finish in the 2025 Ballon d’Or rankings. One fan wrote:

"The most disrespectful thing is Raphinha at 5th."

🐆

@culebalde

The most disrespectful thing is Raphinha at 5th

"Raphinha pulled one of the greatest UCL campaigns ever just to be 5th. This sport is an absolute joke," another fan commented.

MILAGRO🇦🇫

@M1L4GRO

Raphinha pulled one of the greatest ucl campaigns ever just to be 5th. This sport is an absolute joke.

A fan claimed that the Barcelona star was robbed, writing:

"Clearly they robbed off from him."

Anonymous

@_Swayam_Pandya_

@ManagingBarca Clearly they robbed off from him

Another reckoned that Raphinha should have made a podium finish, saying:

"He should have been in top 3."

Omegacarlos

@GallantAbidemi

@ManagingBarca He should have been in top 3.

One fan pointed out Salah's goal contribution in the Champions League as compared to that of Raphinha, suggesting that the latter ought to have ranked above the former.

"Joke of the century. Salah at 4 with two penalties in UCL."

Bisswas Culer 🏴‍☠️ 🇳🇵

@culerboi

@ManagingBarca Joke of the century. Salah at 4 with two penalties in UCL😭😂😂😂😂

"Raphinha finished 5th after putting up this performance Ballon d’Or isn’t fair," another said.

J. 🇵🇸

@Messiilizer

Raphinha finished 5th after putting up this performance Ballon d’Or isn’t fair

How did Barcelona players rank in the final 30-man Ballon d’Or ranking?

Barcelona had four players on the final 30-man Ballon d’Or shortlist, namely, Raphinha, Pedri, Robert Lewandowski, and Lamine Yamal. They all played a huge role in the club's success last term.

The trio of Raphinha, Lewandowski, and Yamal ran riot on the opposition's defence, scoring a combined 94 goals in the 2024-25 campaign. Pedri, meanwhile, was the team's orchestrator in midfield, and he contributed six goals and eight assists in 59 matches.

Lewandowski was ranked 17th, Pedri finished just outside the top 10 in 11th place, while Raphinha came in fifth. Yamal was Barcelona's highest-ranked player at the 2025 Ballon d’Or, finishing as runner-up behind winner Ousmanne Dembele.

The 18-year-old also won the Kopa Trophy and became the first Barcelona player since Lionel Messi in 2019 to attain a podium finish at the prestigious ceremony.