Barcelona coach Hansi Flick believes that Raphinha “may have a shot” at profitable this 12 months’s Ballon d’Or.
Mohamed Salah, Vinicius Junior and Kylian Mbappe are among the many early favourites to scoop world soccer’s most prestigious particular person prize in 2025, however Raphinha has emerged as a shock however legitimate contender resulting from his phenomenal kind for Barcelona.
The Brazilian winger, who was even captaining the crew earlier this season when Ronald Araujo and Frenkie de Jong have been nonetheless sidelined, has scored 25 objectives and racked up 18 assists (43 total direct objective involvements) in 40 appearances throughout all competitions.
And but, Barcelona would have changed Raphinha in a heartbeat final summer time if their delicate funds had allowed them to signal Euro 2024 breakout star Nico Williams.
“After all, if he performs effectively this season, he may have a shot,” Flick stated this week.
“He all the time contributes immensely, and when you have a look at the objectives he has scored, it showcases his willpower. You’ll be able to see how centered he’s. I am happy together with his stage of play.”
Amongst Raphinha’s greatest performances this season have been a objective and help in a 4-0 demolition of Actual Madrid in October’s Clasico, two extra objectives and an help over Barca’s fiercest rivals within the Supercopa de Espana remaining, and a Champions League hat-trick towards Bayern Munich.
The final Barcelona participant to win the Ballon d’Or was Lionel Messi in 2019, though the Blaugrana icon has been awarded it twice extra since, throughout spells at Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Miami.
Messi acquired the Ballon d’Or six instances as a Barcelona participant between 2009 and 2019, with Ronaldinho (2005), Rivaldo (1999), Hristo Stoichkov (1994), Johan Cruyff (1973, 1974) and Luis Suarez (1961) the others to win it whereas representing the membership.
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