Brazilian football star Neymar has publicly criticized the organizers of the 2025 Ballon d’Or for what he called a "joke" ranking, particularly taking issue with his international teammate Raphinha’s fifth-place finish.
Reacting on Instagram to a post by journalist Eduardo Semblano highlighting the rankings, Neymar wrote, “Raphinha 5 is too much teasing,” accompanied by a laughing emoji, expressing disbelief over the placement.
Raphinha had an outstanding season with Barcelona, scoring 34 goals and providing 22 assists in 57 appearances, and was the top scorer in the Champions League with 13 goals. Despite these impressive achievements, he was ranked behind winner Ousmane Dembélé, Barcelona’s rising star Lamine Yamal, PSG’s Vitinha, and Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah.
Neymar’s criticism revives ongoing debates regarding the selection criteria and credibility of the Ballon d’Or, with many fans and pundits questioning the decision to rank Raphinha below players with arguably lesser contributions.
This is not Neymar’s first public dispute with Ballon d’Or outcomes. Last year, he vocally supported Vinicius Jr’s contention for the award, showing his sensitivity to the recognition of Brazilian talents on the global stage.