Barcelona captain Raphinha was interviewed by Catalan radio station RAC1. In the second part of this exclusive interview, Raphinha discusses his exclusion from the 30-man Ballon d'Or shortlist, his goal targets and ambitions for the new season, and his support for Lamine for the 2026 Ballon d'Or, among other topics.

Interviewer: Did you know you've surpassed Messi's season-opening record? Your statistics at the start of La Liga and the Champions League are better than Messi's were at this stage.

Raphinha: I know, someone told me.

Interviewer: How does that feel?

Raphinha: It sounds incredible, doesn't it? I mean, you're surpassing the statistics of the greatest player in football history, both in club history and world football history. Being able to exceed Messi's statistics is certainly something to celebrate, but Messi is Messi, and in my opinion, he's incomparable.

Interviewer: So have you set yourself a goal target now? I mean, have you already set one? Can you tell us?

Raphinha: Yes. No comment. (laughs)

Interviewer: You won't tell us!

Marta: You don't want to say it.

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

Interviewer: Okay.

Raphinha: A few people on the team know.

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

Raphinha: Yes.

Interviewer: Is it your total goals for the entire season, right? All competitions combined: Champions League, La Liga, Copa del Rey, all competitions.

Raphinha: All competitions.

Interviewer: Alright, alright. If you reach this target, is there a bet, a challenge, or a celebration planned?

Raphinha: No, no, it's purely a personal goal for me.

Interviewer: Understood. Can we say now that you're performing at the best level of your career?

Raphinha: Yes. For now, yes.

Interviewer: For now, that's true. Regarding Hans-Flick, you previously said he changed your life. Why did you say that? Is it because of this change, or for other reasons?

Raphinha: Yes, because he truly changed my mindset, and he also changed my situation at the club. As I've always said, after Copa America and before the manager arrived, I had originally planned to leave the club; I had decided. His arrival played a crucial role in convincing me to stay.

Interviewer: If Álvarez had joined, you might not have gotten playing time.

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

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

Raphinha: Honestly, I don't really understand it, because from my personal perspective, if you're unhappy or uncomfortable somewhere, things often don't go well. Of course, things can also go well, I'm not saying he will definitely struggle, but when you feel uncomfortable, it's difficult to settle and work with peace of mind. Moreover, he has repeatedly and clearly stated his desire to leave and come here to fight with us. Of course, I understand that a club doesn't want to let go of a player of his caliber and quality, but in my opinion, their approach is a bit unreasonable.

Interviewer: I have two more questions, and then Gerard and Marta also have some questions for you. Do you regret not making the 30-man Ballon d'Or shortlist? Does it feel bad to miss out on it?

Raphinha: Do I feel bad about it? No, not really.

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

Raphinha: No, I do think it's quite unfair. Not just for myself, but even more so for Pedri. I think Pedri really should have been on that list as well. Ultimately, this is what I believe: from what I observe, this award measures individual statistics, team achievements like various trophies, and those standout moments—the best performances—and so on. From that perspective, I do think there were some injustices, not just for me, but also for Pedri, and of course for other players I can't think of right now who also suffered unfairly. But again, many previous selections have had their share of injustices, so honestly, I don't really care.

Interviewer: If you keep playing at this pace, maybe you'll win the Ballon d'Or next year. You know? Just give it to you next year. If you keep scoring so many goals, it's guaranteed.

Raphinha: Honestly, my personal goal is to win the Champions League with the club and another La Liga title. If I can achieve that, then it will be... sorry, it will be incredible. (laughs) If I can win the Champions League, contribute to winning the Champions League, and then win the La Liga title again for consecutive championships, that will definitely be the most beautiful thing I've ever experienced at this club. If we can continue our current performance, we're fully capable of competing for these trophies with extreme competitiveness.

Interviewer: If all of this becomes reality and Raphinha keeps scoring goals, 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 the caption "My Ballon d'Or" above it. You were very confident that it would definitely be Lamine this year, weren't you?

Raphinha: Without a doubt, I'm very confident. As I just said, because this award tends to be given to players with outstanding individual statistics and team achievements, Lamine's statistics are excellent, Lamine has won trophies with the club, and Lamine has also won the World Cup...

Interviewer: Some people also say...

Raphinha: People would pay any price to watch Lamine play in person, and I would also buy a ticket to watch him, but I play with him now, so I can enjoy his football up close. So in my opinion, it's clear, Lamine should win this award, there's no other possibility. Sorry, even though I appreciate the other candidates, Lamine is far ahead, and this award truly belongs to him.

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

Raphinha: The one who played poorly was clearly me. I didn't play well; I only played one and a half matches. (laughs) We stopped at the quarter-finals, and I don't even want to be reminded of it now because the defeat was too painful. But how can someone win the World Cup while playing poorly? I don't understand that statement at all. Well, many people also say that to win the Ballon d'Or, you have to win certain trophies. I think winning three trophies is pretty convincing, isn't it?

Interviewer: And his performance on the pitch...

Raphinha: His performance needs no further explanation because he does amazing things in almost every match. So for me, there's no other choice. There's a saying in Brazil that when you watch a certain person play, it makes "your eyes light up." When I was young watching Ronaldinho play, my eyes would shine with that kind of light, and Lamine now brings that feeling to people. And he brings more than that; he shows endless magic on the pitch, he brings goals, assists, and championship 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 definitely choose Lamine.

Interviewer: Mbappé previously stated openly that he deserves the Ballon d'Or even without winning a major team trophy. What do you think about that?

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

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