2025 Ballon d'Or is not for Yamal or Dembele - Brazil legend picks unpopular winner

As the race for the 2025 Ballon d’Or heats up, Brazilian legend Romario has made a surprising pick, overlooking Paris Saint-Germain’s Ousmane Dembele and Barcelona wonderkid Lamine Yamal, who are widely regarded as frontrunners for the prestigious award.

Romario, who won the 1994 FIFA World Cup and enjoyed an illustrious career with clubs like Barcelona and PSV Eindhoven, believes that his compatriot Raphinha deserves to be crowned the world’s best player this year.

“I Would Choose Raphinha. At this moment, I would choose Raphinha. Because, as I said, he has scored many goals. And these goals have been important goals, not only for his career but for Barcelona and also when he goes to the Brazilian national team. For me, it would be Raphinha, also because he’s Brazilian," he said.

Dembele was instrumental in PSG’s historic first Champions League title, while Yamal dazzled for both Barcelona and Spain during a stellar 2024/25 season.

While Yamal’s emergence stole headlines, Raphinha quietly delivered decisive performances for Barcelona, contributing crucial goals in their domestic triumphs.