Barcelona captain Raphinha was interviewed by Catalan radio station RAC1. In the second part of this exclusive interview, Raphinha discussed not making the 30-man Ballon d'Or shortlist, his goal-scoring targets and championship ambitions for the new season, and his backing of Yamal for the 2026 Ballon d'Or, among many other topics.

Host: Do you know that you've surpassed Messi's record for the start of a season? I mean, in the early stages of La Liga and the Champions League, your statistics are even better than Messi's were at that point.

Raphinha: I know, someone mentioned it to me.

Host: What do you think about that?

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

Host: So, have you set yourself a goal tally for this season? I mean... have you set one? Can you tell us?

Raphinha: Yes. No. (laughs)

Host: You won't tell us!

Marta: You don't want to say.

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

Host: Okay.

Raphinha: A few people on the team know.

Host: So you've actually written down the goal tally you're hoping to achieve?

Raphinha: Yes.

Host: That's the total for the entire season, right? All competitions combined: Champions League, La Liga, Copa del Rey, everything across all competitions.

Raphinha: Across all competitions.

Host: Okay, okay, okay. If you reach that target, is there any bet, challenge, or celebration planned?

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

Host: Got it. Can we say now that you're in the best form of your career?

Raphinha: Yes. Right now, I am.

Host: You're definitely in great form right now. Regarding Hansi Flick, you've said before that he changed your life. Why do you say that? Is it because of these changes, or for other reasons?

Raphinha: Yes, because he completely changed my mindset, and he also changed my situation at the club. As I've always said, after Copa América and before the manager arrived, I had plans to leave the club; I had already decided. The manager's arrival played a crucial role in convincing me to stay.

Host: If Álvarez had joined, you might not have had a chance to play.

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

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

Raphinha: To be honest, I don't really understand it, because from my personal perspective, if you're not happy or comfortable somewhere, things usually don't work out well. Of course, things could work out well, I'm not saying he'll definitely struggle, but when you feel uncomfortable, it's very difficult to settle and work in peace. And he's clearly expressed his desire to leave many times, wanting to come and fight with us. I certainly understand that the club doesn't want to lose such a talented player, but I think their actions were a bit unusual.

Host: I have two more questions, and then Gerard and Marta will also have a few questions for you. Do you regret not being selected for the Ballon d'Or 30-man list? Does it feel bad not to be on the Ballon d'Or 30-man shortlist?

Raphinha: Do I feel bad? Not really, no.

Host: You don't think it's unfair? I feel for you. So, what do you think?

Raphinha: No, I actually think it's quite unfair. Not just for me, but for Pedri as well. I think Pedri should have been on the list. Ultimately, this is what I believe: from what I can observe, this award measures individual statistics, team titles (like various championships), and important standout moments, peak performances, and so on. From that perspective, I really do think there's some injustice, not just with me but with Pedri, and certainly other players I can't think of right now have also been treated unfairly. That said, there has been plenty of injustice in previous selections, so to be honest, I don't really care.

Host: With the form you're in, they might as well give you the Ballon d'Or next year. You know? Just give it to you next year. If you keep scoring like this, 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 that would be... sorry, that would be f***ing amazing. (laughs) If I can win the Champions League, contribute to winning the Champions League, and then win another La Liga title to secure back-to-back championships, that would certainly be the most amazing thing I've ever experienced at this club. If we can maintain our current form, we're absolutely capable of competing for these titles with extremely high intensity.

Host: If all of that becomes reality and Raphinha keeps scoring, then the 2027 Ballon d'Or will be yours. But for the 2026 Ballon d'Or, who would you give it to? I remember you posted on social media before—"my Ballon d'Or winner"—right? You posted a photo of Lamine saying "my Ballon d'Or." You were very convinced that this year it had to be Lamine's, right?

Raphinha: Without a doubt, I'm very sure. As I just said, because this award is usually given to players with outstanding individual statistics and team titles, Lamine's statistics are outstanding, Lamine won the championship with the club, and Lamine also won the World Cup...

Host: Some people also say...

Raphinha: Everyone would pay any price to watch Lamine play live, and I would also buy a ticket to watch him play, but right now I'm playing with him, so I can enjoy his football more closely. So for me, it's obvious—Lamine must win this award, there's no other way. Sorry, although I respect the other candidates, Lamine is far superior, and this award absolutely belongs to him.

Host: Sorry for interrupting earlier, I just wanted to mention: regarding the World Cup, some people say he didn't play well, and even when they won, his performance was ordinary, so this shouldn't give him that many points...

Raphinha: The player who played poorly was obviously me—I didn't play well, I only played one and a half matches. (laughs) We went out in the quarterfinals, and I really don't want to remember it right now because it was so painful. But how can someone win the World Cup and play very poorly? I completely can't understand that assessment. Well, many others also say that to win the Ballon d'Or, you have to win certain titles. I think winning three championships is pretty convincing, isn't it?

Host: And his performances on the pitch...

Raphinha: His performances on the pitch speak for themselves, because he pulls off brilliant plays in almost every match. So for me, there's no other choice. There's a Brazilian saying that describes the feeling of watching certain players that makes your eyes light up. When I was young, watching Ronaldinho play made my eyes light up like that, and now Lamine gives everyone that feeling. And he gives more than that; he performs endless magic on the pitch, he brings goals, assists, and titles. I think that's enough, isn't it? If that's still not enough, I really don't know what else he needs to do. If this were a fair award, I would definitely vote for Lamine.

Host: Mbappé previously stated publicly that he deserves the Ballon d'Or even without winning major team titles. What do you think about that?

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

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