Fifth in Ballon d'Or race, Raphinha outshone Dembélé and Yamal last season | OneFootball

At a ceremony held in Paris this Monday, France Football magazine crowned striker Ousmane Dembélé of Paris Saint-Germain with the traditional Ballon d'Or. The 28-year-old player beat out Lamine Yamal and Raphinha, athletes from Barcelona who were also considered contenders for the award.

Raphinha's placement, in turn, sparked much debate on social media. The Brazilian, considered by many to be Barcelona's main player last season, finished only in fifth place, behind Vitinha of PSG and Mohamed Salah of Liverpool.

Gazeta Esportiva broke down Raphinha's numbers, which are better than those of the top 2 ahead of him. See below:

Photo: Antonio Pozo / Alamy Stock Photo

More games, more goals, and more assists

First, the comparison with his club teammate, Lamine Yamal, who finished second in the Ballon d'Or. The 18-year-old was very important in the final stretch of the Champions League and La Liga, but over the entire season, his numbers are well below Raphinha's. The statistics include both club and national team matches.

The award-winning Ousmane Dembélé also falls short in all categories compared to the Brazilian. However, the Frenchman was the Champions League winner.

Photo: Independent Photo Agency / Alamy Stock Photo

Best Brazilian

Raphinha's season, for comparison purposes, is the best in numbers for a Brazilian in Europe in recent years, compared to Neymar in 2014/15 for Barcelona, and Vinicius Júnior for Real Madrid in 2023/24.

In his best year at Barça, Neymar played 51 games, scored 39 goals, and had ten assists, while Raphinha played 57 matches, scored 34 goals, and provided 22 assists.

Meanwhile, Vinicius Júnior lags far behind Raphinha. In 2023/24, Vini played 39 games, scored 24 goals, and had nine assists.

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