‘Great inspiration for me’… Raphinha names the former Brazilian Barcelona stars he looked up to | OneFootball

In addition to proving himself as one of the best wingers in the world at this point in time with FC Barcelona, the winger Raphinha is also taking a lot of responsibility with the Brazilian national team, with which he is currently training in this March international break.

In addition to training, the Blaugrana forward has also been making some media appearances in his home country, and one instance of this was his recent interview with Romario. In this interview, one of the subjects Raphinha talked about was his chances of winning the Ballon d’Or.

As Mundo Deportivo has reported, the Brazilian star also talked about the two other components of the Barcelona attacking trio which has been one of the deadliest striker forces in Europe this season.

While naming Lamine Yamal as his best friend in the Blaugrana locker room, the Canarinha star also praised his talent and potential:

“An exceptional talent. Amazing. For me, it depends on him, but he has everything necessary to break records and win individual awards for years. It all depends on him.”

On the other hand, he also praised Lewandowski’s abilities that make him such a good striker:

“He’s a goal machine; there’s no doubt about that. He knows how to position himself, and it’s no coincidence that during his three seasons at Barcelona, he scored more than 20 goals each season. It’s not easy at all.”

Furthermore, the Brazilian star also named some of his compatriots who have also played for Barcelona in the past as his inspirations:

“Neymar and Ronaldinho were a great inspiration for me. I couldn’t watch much of Ronaldinho when he played because I was too young. But with YouTube, I was able to watch videos of him and other players like Rivaldo and Ronaldo.

I spoke with Neymar, and he asked me what my favorite number was. I told him 11 because I’ve had it since I was little, and I grew up watching Neymar and Ronaldinho.”

With his performances this season, Raphinha is clearly on track to write his name alongside these icons in the Blaugrana club’s history books. Hopefully, he will be able to add some trophies, and even the Ballon d’Or, to his name this year to achieve this glory.