Richarlison Gives Straightforward Take on 2025 Ballon d’Or Rankings
On a memorable evening at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris, some of the world’s finest footballers were honoured at the 2025 Ballon d’Or ceremony.
Paris Saint-Germain’s Ousmane Dembélé was crowned the winner of the men’s Ballon d’Or, while Barcelona’s Aitana Bonmatí made history by becoming the first player to claim the women’s award three times. Barcelona wonderkid Lamine Yamal picked up the Kopa Trophy for best young player and finished second in the men’s rankings, ahead of PSG’s Vitinha, Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah, and fifth-placed Raphinha.
Shortly after the final standings were revealed, Tottenham striker Richarlison reacted on social media. Having played alongside Raphinha with Brazil, he had hoped to see his teammate secure the award. Instead, the Barcelona winger’s fifth-place finish left him frustrated, as shown by an Instagram story featuring Raphinha’s ranking and an embarrassed-face emoji.
Richarlison and Raphinha have appeared together 11 times for Brazil, mostly during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. In one highlight, the duo combined for two goals in a 5-1 friendly victory over Tunisia in September 2022.
Despite missing out on a higher spot, Raphinha can take pride in finishing fifth. His ranking reflected an outstanding campaign with Barcelona, during which he helped secure La Liga, the Copa del Rey, and the Spanish Super Cup. Across 57 appearances, he registered 34 goals and 25 assists, marking one of the most productive seasons of his career.
