Santos star Neymar criticized the final 2025 Ballon d’Or rankings, calling them an “unacceptable farce.”
Ousmane Dembélé won the Ballon d’Or by a wide margin over Lamine Yamal, while Vitinha finished third, Mohamed Salah fourth, and Rafinha fifth.
Neymar expressed his surprise at Rafinha’s low ranking, as the former Barcelona star believes the Brazilian international’s performance last season would have earned him a much higher ranking.
Neymar wrote on his Instagram account, “Rafinha in fifth? It’s a very big farce.”
Neymar wasn’t the only Brazilian angry about Rafinha’s ranking. Tottenham star Richarlison shared his opinion and posted a story with a surprised emoji, clearly denouncing the Barcelona star’s decline in the rankings despite his performances this season.
Rafinha led Barcelona to a domestic treble, scoring 18 goals and providing nine assists in 36 La Liga appearances. He also scored 11 goals in the Champions League, which Hansi Flick’s side were eliminated in the semi-finals.
