Neymar delivers sharp message to 2025 Ballon d’Or after Raphinha snub: ‘It’s a joke’

Raphinha ended in 5th place in the 2025 Ballon d’Or, and Neymar didn’t doubt to react with a sharp message: “It’s a joke.”

Raphinha emerged as one of the frontrunners for the 2025 Ballon d’Or after a superb 2024-25 campaign, the best season of his career to date. But after the Brazilian winger was denied a higher spot in the rankings, his national team teammate Neymar reacted with a blunt message: “It’s a joke.”

As the Ballon d’Or social media accounts revealed the rankings from the list of 30 nominees, many expected Raphinha’s name to be held until the ceremony, with the FC Barcelona star tipped as a legitimate top contender. Instead, with the top spots still in play, he was announced in fifth place.

With Ousmane Dembélé ultimately crowned the 2025 Ballon d’Or winner, Raphinha finished behind Lamine Yamal (2nd), Vitinha (3rd), and Mohamed Salah (4th). The ranking caused a stir, particularly with fans questioning Salah’s place ahead of the Brazilian after the Liverpool forward’s only major trophy was the Premier League title.

The announcement sparked backlash from supporters, and Neymar joined in with a strong reaction. Commenting on an Instagram post by @ofuiclear showing the Ballon d’Or top 10, the Santos star wrote: “Raphinha at 5 is too much of a joke.” His words quickly drew attention and fueled the debate across social media.

Teammates during Brazil’s 2022 World Cup campaign, Neymar and Raphinha have built a close relationship on and off the field. Now back at Santos as he works to rediscover top form ahead of the 2026 World Cup, Neymar seized the chance to publicly back his teammate, just as he did with Vinícius Jr. following last year’s Ballon d’Or controversy.

Raphinha’s 2025-26 season

Alongside teenage sensation Lamine Yamal, Raphinha has been one of Barcelona’s most decisive players, helping secure a domestic treble with La Liga, Copa del Rey, and Supercopa de España titles, outshining Real Madrid in each competition. The major disappointment came in the UEFA Champions League, where Barca fell short in the semifinals against Inter Milan.

Individually, Raphinha was Barca’s second-highest scorer behind Robert Lewandowski (42), while leading the squad in overall goal contributions with 34 goals and 25 assists in 57 appearances. With those numbers, many believed he had a strong case for a top-three finish, which explains the frustration among fans, and Neymar’s sharp defense of his teammate.