"No one is ahead of Lamine Yamal and Raphinha for the Ballon d'Or"

Barcelona seem to have found their way back to top form after hitting a slump during November and December. Flick's men have scored five goals in successive games, one of them being in the Spanish Super Cup triumph over historic rivals Real Madrid.

'Blaugrana' legend Rivaldo, always keeping up with his former team, spoke to the microphones of 'Betfair' regarding the outstanding performances delivered by Lamine Yamal and Raphinha this season as he named the duo as frontrunners for the Ballon d’Or race.

“Right now I don’t see anyone ahead of Lamine and Raphinha in the race to win the Ballon d’Or," he said. “Maybe if we look outside of Spain, Salah is a strong candidate for his season and Vinicius will always be there. All this will depend a lot on Barcelona and the conquest of collective titles, but both are having a great season".

He added: “Yamal is showing great confidence in Barcelona and plays with a maturity much greater than his age. Raphinha has been scoring goals, giving assists and showing great confidence in the field. He is playing with creativity and determination, which makes him an outstanding candidate for the award".

Rivaldo concluded the interview by offering words of wisdom for his Brazilian compatriot Vinicius Junior. "The Ballon d'Or loss might have impacted him emotionally. But he needs to let go of it and focus on the game. He should not be conditioned by exterior factors".

 

January 15, 2025