Rafinha reveals his three favorites for the 2025 Ballon d'Or!

Brazilian footballer Rafinha, star of FC Barcelona, has revealed his three main contenders for the 2025 Ballon d'Or. In an interview with Brazilian journalist Isabella Baglieri, he stated that Lamine Yamal, his Barça teammate, Mohamed Salah, the Egyptian striker from Liverpool, and Kylian Mbappé, the French forward for Real Madrid, are the front-runners for this year's prestigious award.

He also mentioned that his compatriot Vinícius Júnior, despite a dip in performance compared to last season, remains a strong candidate in his eyes.

Rafinha further highlighted that some players lack the recognition they deserve, adding: "There are two players who aren't getting the attention they deserve, and I think they should at least be nominated: Pedri and Rodrygo."

Rafinha: "The Ballon d'Or isn't a goal, but..."

When asked about his own chances of winning the Ballon d'Or, he said: "It's not a personal goal, but if I'm nominated, of course I'll be happy, because I know what I've gone through to get here."

At 28, Rafinha is enjoying one of his best seasons with FC Barcelona under coach Hans Flick. He's been directly involved in 56 goals across all competitions, scoring 31 and providing 25 assists.

Also read: Lamine Yamal amazes Alessandro Nesta: "He does inhuman things!"

Mohamed Rek |

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Mohamed Rek- sports content writer with over 10 years of experience creating football content in Arabic and French for platforms such as Foot Africa and Starafrica, combining accuracy, creativity, and audience engagement.