Raphinha has received confirmation from France Football that his records put him on the path to the Ballon d'Or.
This is a direct blow to Vinícius Jr, whose dream has always been to win the top award. Last year he fell short, although he was very close. He had to settle for The Best.
Raphinha Already Knows He is the Big Favorite
The French weekly has confirmed it to people very close to Raphinha. If he maintains the level shown until January, he will undoubtedly be the top candidate to win the Ballon d'Or.
He would thus succeed Rodri in the award's record. The Madrid midfielder won the award last season, receiving fierce criticism from the Spanish media based in Madrid.
The story will likely repeat with Raphinha if he wins the award. He is on the right track. His brace in Lisbon brings him even closer to the goal.
So far this season, Raphinha has scored 24 goals (21 with Barça and 3 with Brazil). And he has already provided 11 assists in 30 matches.
He has scored 21 goals in 30 matches with Barça across La Liga, Champions League, Copa del Rey, and Supercopa de España.
8 goals and 2 assists in 7 Champions League matches. 11 goals and 6 assists in 20 La Liga matches. 2 goals and 1 assist in 2 Supercopa de España matches.
On the Verge of Surpassing Vinícius's Best Version
Last season Vinícius saw himself as the Ballon d'Or winner with these numbers: 39 matches, 24 goals (15 in La Liga and 6 in Champions).
With Brazil, he scored 2 goals and provided an assist. 45 matches, 26 goals, and 10 assists in total.
That is to say, with four months of competition still ahead, Raphinha is on the verge of surpassing Vinícius's records from last season. Records that allowed media close to Real Madrid to speak of the player as "the best in the world."
Raphinha has a lot going for him in the Ballon d'Or 2025 selection, which judges the work done during the season and not in the calendar year, like The Best.
If Vinícius's numbers served to elevate him, Raphinha's deserve the same consideration. He won't gain the support of the Madrid media, which doesn't necessarily align with the rest of the world's criteria. Last year this point was made very clear.
Raphinha has scored in all the competitions he has participated in. He only needs to assist in the Copa del Rey, a goal he can easily achieve in the coming weeks.