Raphinha, Barcelona's captain, was interviewed by Catalan radio station RAC1. In the second part of this exclusive interview, Raphinha addressed his omission from the 30-man Ballon d'Or shortlist, his goal and trophy objectives for the new season, and his support for Yamal for the 2026 Ballon d'Or, among other topics.

Interviewer: Do you know that you've surpassed Messi's early-season record? That is, in the early stages of La Liga and the Champions League, your statistics are even better than Messi's.

Raphinha: I know, someone mentioned it to me.

Interviewer: What do you think about it?

Raphinha: It seems incredible, doesn't it? After all, you're surpassing the statistics of the greatest player in football history, both in the club's history and in world football history. Being able to surpass Messi's statistics is indeed something to celebrate, but Messi is Messi. In my opinion, he's incomparable.

Interviewer: So, have you set yourself a goal tally? That is, do you have one? Can you tell us?

Raphinha: Yes. No. (laughs)

Interviewer: You won't tell us!

Marta: You don't want to tell us.

Raphinha: I won't tell you, but I've written it down.

Interviewer: Okay.

Raphinha: A few people on the team know about it.

Interviewer: You've actually written down the number of goals you want to achieve?

Raphinha: Yes.

Interviewer: That's the total number of goals for the entire season, right? All combined: Champions League, La Liga, Copa del Rey, the sum of all competitions.

Raphinha: The sum of all competitions.

Interviewer: Okay. If you reach that target, are there any bets, challenges, or celebrations planned?

Raphinha: No, no. It's purely a personal objective for me.

Interviewer: Understood. So, would you say you're in the best form of your career right now?

Raphinha: Yes. For now, yes.

Interviewer: You certainly seem to be. Regarding Hans-Flick, you've already said he changed your life. Why do you say that? Is it because of his tactical changes, or is there another reason?

Raphinha: Yes, because he completely changed my mentality, and he also changed my situation at the club. As I've always said, after Copa América and before the coach arrived, I initially intended to leave the club; I'd already made that decision. The coach's arrival played a crucial role in convincing me to stay with the team.

Interviewer: If Álvarez had joined, you might not have had the chance to play.

Raphinha: Maybe, maybe not. It's hard to say.

Interviewer: Do you understand Atlético Madrid's approach? Do you understand the whole situation?

Raphinha: To be honest, I don't fully understand it, because I think from my personal perspective, if you're not happy or comfortable somewhere, things often don't go well. Of course, things can go well anyway; I'm not saying he'll necessarily struggle. But when you feel uncomfortable, it's difficult to settle in and work peacefully. He's expressed clearly and repeatedly his desire to leave and join us to fight side by side. Of course, I understand the club doesn't want to let go of such a talented player, but I think their approach is beyond reason.

Interviewer: I have two more questions, and then Gerard and Marta also have some questions for you. Do you regret not being included in the 30-man Ballon d'Or shortlist? Does it hurt to be left off the Ballon d'Or list?

Raphinha: Does it hurt me? Not really.

Interviewer: Don't you think it's unfair? I'm frustrated for you. What do you think?

Raphinha: No, I do think it's quite unfair. Not just for me, but also for Pedri. I think Pedri absolutely should have been on the list. Ultimately, that's what I believe. From what I can observe, this award measures individual statistics, team honors like various trophies, those key high-profile moments and top performances, and so on. From that perspective, I think there's some injustice—not just for me, but also for Pedri, and certainly other players I can't think of right now have also been treated unfairly. But again, many past selections have had their share of injustices, so to be honest, I don't really care.

Interviewer: If you continue playing at this level, next year's Ballon d'Or should be awarded to you right now. You see? Give it to yourself next year. If you keep scoring this many goals, it's a certainty.

Raphinha: To be honest, my personal goal is to win the Champions League with the club and another La Liga title. If I can achieve that, then it would be—sorry, it would be incredible. (laughs) If I can win the Champions League, contribute to that victory, and then win another La Liga title to achieve back-to-back championships, that would certainly be the most wonderful thing I've experienced at this club. If we can maintain our current level, we're perfectly capable of competing for these honors with extreme competitiveness.

Interviewer: If all that happens and Raphinha keeps scoring, then the 2027 Ballon d'Or will be yours. As for the 2026 Ballon d'Or, who would you give it to? I remember you posted "My Ballon d'Or winner" on social media before, right? You posted a photo of Lamine with "My Ballon d'Or." You're very convinced that Lamine should win it this year, aren't you?

Raphinha: Without a doubt, I'm very sure. As I just said, since this award tends to reward players with exceptional individual statistics and team honors, Lamine's statistics are excellent. Lamine has won trophies with the club, and Lamine also won the World Cup...

Interviewer: Some people also say...

Raphinha: People would pay any price to watch Lamine play live; if it were me, I'd buy tickets to watch his matches too. But I'm playing alongside him now, so I can enjoy his football up close. So for me, it's obvious—Lamine should win this award. There's no question about it. Sorry, although I respect the other candidates greatly, Lamine is far ahead, and this award absolutely belongs to him.

Interviewer: Sorry for interrupting earlier, but I was about to mention: regarding the World Cup, some people say he didn't play well, even though he won the title, his performance was mediocre, so that shouldn't give him so many points...

Raphinha: The one who played poorly was clearly me—I didn't play well at all. I only played a match and a half. (laughs) We stopped in the quarterfinals, and I'm reluctant to think about it now because losing is too painful. But how can someone win the World Cup while playing very poorly? I absolutely don't understand that statement. Well, many others also say that to win the Ballon d'Or, you need to win certain specific trophies. I think winning three titles is quite convincing, isn't it?

Interviewer: And his on-field performance...

Raphinha: His match performances speak for themselves—he pulls off almost dazzling exploits in every game. So for me, there's no other choice. There's a saying in Brazil describing how watching certain people play makes your eyes "shine." When I was a kid and watched Ronaldinho play, my eyes shone like that, and now Lamine brings people that same feeling. And he brings much more than that; he displays endless magic on the pitch, he scores goals, provides assists, and wins trophies. I think that's enough, isn't it? If that's not enough, then I really don't know what else he needs to do. If this is a fair award, I would absolutely vote for Lamine.

Interviewer: Mbappé stated publicly earlier that he thought he deserved the Ballon d'Or even without winning a major team trophy. What do you think about that?

Raphinha: All I can say is that my Ballon d'Or winner is Lamine.

Traduit par IA.

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