Brazilian star, Raphinha has claimed that he is not interested in the Ballon D’Or talk as he is focused on his game and helping the club win titles, Softfootball reports.
The former Leeds United forward scored this evening as Barcelona defeated 10-man Villarreal 2-0. The Yellow Submarines were unbeaten in six matches before the encounter but goals for Raphinha and Lamine Yamal gave the Catalan giants the needed win.
According to football expert, Fabrizio Romano via his official X handle, Raphinha is not looking at the Ballon D’Or after he missed out last season.
🚨 Raphinha when asked about Ballon d’Or after today’s game: “Don’t care. Not interesting to me”. pic.twitter.com/Np1Y6BF7r4
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) December 21, 2025Raphinha won the Man-of-the-Match against Villarreal and he is beginning to regain form after he began the new season with injury. He is starting to show some of the form that made him favourite for the Ballon D’Or last season.
Raphinha joined Barcelona from Leeds United in July 2022 for a reported initial fee of around £50 million (€58 million). He finished his first season with 10 goals and 12 assists, helping the team win the La Liga title and the Supercopa de España.
Raphinha struggled in the 2023-24 season, scoring his first goals in the competition, including a brace against Paris Saint-Germain. He was almost sold by the club and was suggested to various club across Europe.
The arrival of coach Hansi Flick changed all for Raphinha as he was deployed in a more central, second-striker role, which dramatically improved his form. He recorded an impressive 34 goals and 26 assists across 57 appearances in all competitions, leading to a domestic treble (La Liga, Copa del Rey, and Supercopa de España). He also finished as the joint top scorer in the UEFA Champions League with 13 goals, an achievement that saw him finish fifth in the Ballon d’Or voting. He extended his contract until 2028.
