Neymar Criticizes Raphinhas 5th-Place Ballon dOr Finish

Neymar expressed shock at Raphinha finishing fifth in the 2025 Ballon d’Or, calling it a bad joke. The Barcelona winger scored 34 goals and provided 25 assists in 57 matches last season, helping Barcelona win a domestic treble and reach the Champions League semi-finals. Neymar believes Raphinha deserved a higher ranking than top scorer Ousmane Dembélé.

For the 2025 Ballon d'Or, Neymar expressed strong disagreement with Raphinha’s fifth-place finish, calling it “a bad joke.” The former Brazilian star felt his compatriot deserved a higher ranking following an impressive season with Barcelona, where Raphinha scored 34 goals and provided 25 assists across 57 matches. His contributions helped Barcelona secure a domestic treble and reach the Champions League semi-finals, making Neymar’s reaction unsurprising given the winger’s key role.

The 2025 Ballon d'Or saw Ousmane Dembélé of Paris Saint-Germain claim the top spot, followed by Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal in second and PSG’s Vitinha in third. Mohamed Salah of Liverpool finished fourth, with Raphinha in fifth place. Other notable players in the top ten included Achraf Hakimi, Kylian Mbappé, Cole Palmer, Gianluigi Donnarumma, and Nuno Mendes.

Neymar, despite a celebrated career with Santos, Barcelona, and Paris Saint-Germain, has never won the Ballon d'Or, with his best finishes being third in 2015 and 2017. The rankings stirred debate, with many fans and experts discussing the emotional and performance-based factors influencing the selections. Raphinha’s fifth-place finish remains a topic of discussion, highlighting both his stellar individual season and the competitive nature of global football recognition.