Rafinha was one of the most notable omissions from 2025 FIFPro Best XI – a decision that raised eyebrows among fans as it was named The League‘s MVP last season. After the insult, the FC Barcelona winger took to social media to share his response.
In the vote among professional players, the attackers were selected for the period 2024-2025 FIFPro Best XI were Ousmane Dembélé of Paris Saint-Germain, Kylian Mbappé of Real Madrid and Lamine Yamal of Barcelona. All three finished in the top 10 of the 2025 Ballon d’Or, but Raphinha’s complete exclusion from the list did not sit well with him.
After the Best XI announcement on Monday, Raphinha spent much of Tuesday posting a series of 23 Instagram stories highlighting his performances from last season. Alongside clips of his goals and assists, he reposted La Liga’s official announcement naming him MVP, an award he believes was overlooked by voters.
Dembélé and Yamal were the two frontrunners for the 2025 Ballon d’Or, finishing first and second respectively, making them strong competitors for a spot in the top XI. However, Mbappé’s inclusion came in for some criticism as despite winning his first Golden Boot of his career, he fell short in the major team titles and finished seventh in the Ballon d’Or voting.
FC Barcelona’s Raphinha lifts the La Liga trophy.
Raphinha, meanwhile, finished in fifth place in the Ballon d’Orbehind Dembélé, Yamal, Vitinha and Mohamed Salah. In several messages, accompanied by laughing emojis, the 28-year-old appeared to mock the decision, suggesting he disagreed with being left out of the lineup ahead of the 2024-2025 season.
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Raphinha’s impact in the 2024-2025 campaign
Competing with elite names like Mbappé, Yamal, Robert Lewandowski, Vinícius Júnior and Pedri, Raphinha earned the La Liga MVP award after an excellent campaign. His production extended far beyond Spanish borders, as he also achieved historic figures in the UEFA Champions League.
In a season in which Barcelona won the La Liga, the Copa del Rey and the Spanish Super Cup, Raphinha played in 64 matches in all competitions, scoring 38 goals and adding 24 assists. He also equaled Cristiano Ronaldo’s record for the most goal contributions in a single Champions League season with 21a new milestone that confirms his status as one of Europe’s most impactful players.
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