Thursday, December 18, 2025 - Barcelona star Raphinha's wife has hit out at FIFA after her husband was surprisingly omitted from the team of the year despite finishing 5th in Ballon d'Or rankings
The lineup was announced on Tuesday evening in Doha, Qatar,
where a host of football's biggest names flocked for FIFA's annual awards
ceremony.
Gigi Donnarumma was named in goal behind a back four of
Achraf Hakimi, William Pacho, Virgil van Dijk, and Nuno Mendes, a
midfield quartet consisting of Cole Palmer, Jude Bellingham, Vitinha,
and Pedri, and a front two of Lamine Yamal and Ousmane
Dembele.
The Barcelona winger was one of a few noticeable omissions alongside both Erling Haaland and Mo Salah. But his wife, Rodrigues, was quick to express her disappointment.
According to Portuguese outlet A Bola, she wrote in a
now-deleted Instagram story: 'Is Raphinha a basketball player?'
The former Leeds winger enjoyed a stellar 2025, contributing
34 goals and 26 assists last season for Barcelona on their way to the Champions
League semi-final and LaLiga title.
Those exploits only earned him the fifth spot on the Ballon
d'Or list back in September, as well as LaLiga's player of the year for
2024-25, beating his team-mate Lamine Yamal.
However, the Brazilian has made just 10 appearances for the
Catalan giants this term due to injury, perhaps being the reason for his
omission from FIFA's eleven.
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