Raphinha was left off the 2026 Ballon d’Or shortlist after an injury-affected 2025-26 season and Brazil’s World Cup exit.
He has since made a strong start to 2026-27, helping Barcelona win a club-record seven games in a row while leading La Liga in goals. Barcelona are top of La Liga with maximum points and have scored 31 goals in seven league games.
The 29-year-old was directly involved in a large share of those attacks. He recorded five goals and one assist in the opening month to win La Liga Player of the Month award. His form has made him an important part of Barcelona’s attack under Hansi Flick.
In the Champions League, he scored twice in Barcelona’s 5-1 win over Feyenoord and is credited with scoring the club’s first goal of the 2026-27 UCL campaign. His strong start has also carried into European competition.
By mid-September, Raphinha has 14 goals and three assists in eight official matches across all competitions. Those numbers put him among Europe’s leading players for combined goals and assists.
His hat-trick against Sevilla helped Barcelona become the first side in their history to win seven consecutive competitive matches to start a season.
Raphinha has scored in several consecutive fixtures early in the campaign. He did not score against Levante but provided two assists, extending his run of direct goal contributions.
His numbers have firmly placed him in the early Ballon d’Or conversation, while Barcelona has also maintained a perfect start to the season.
How Raphinha Has Responded to His 2026 Ballon d'Or Snub
The Brazilian has not framed his season as a reaction to the Ballon d’Or decision, instead emphasizing continuous improvement and team performance in post-match interviews.
Following the 7-2 win over Racing Santander, he said: “It’s always important to think you need to improve in some way. So I’ll never tell you I’m at my best level… I always try to improve as much as I can, and give more to the team than I am giving.”
He added: “The players have the hunger to always want more. It’s a mentality to always try to score more goals and to create more scoring opportunities.”
After Barcelona’s 5-1 Champions League win over Feyenoord, he told Movistar+: “I’m not talking about the Ballon d’Or. I’m talking about Barcelona, who are having a spectacular season. I’m working to score goals.”
Raphinha has not publicly dwelled on the Ballon d’Or snub. Instead, he has focused on his performances for Barca and let his numbers do the talking.
His omission came after an injury-affected 2025-26 season and Brazil’s World Cup round-of-16 exit, despite the numbers he produced for Barcelona when fit. This season, he has given himself a chance to put the decision behind him with his performances on the pitch.
He finished fifth in the 2025 Ballon d’Or after scoring 34 goals and providing 26 assists in 2024-25, helping Barcelona win a domestic treble and reach the Champions League semifinals. That made his absence from the 2026 shortlist even more noticeable.
In 2025-26, he recorded 21 goals and eight assists for Barcelona but missed key periods through injury He also made just two group-stage appearances for Brazil at the 2026 World Cup.
The eligibility period for the 2026 award covered that injury-affected campaign, when Raphinha missed important periods of the season. That affected how his overall campaign compared with his previous season, despite the numbers he produced when he was available.
Several outlets have highlighted the contrast between his 2024-25 season and his absence from the 2026 shortlist. His current form has only made that contrast more noticeable, with his goals, assists and role at Barcelona putting the decision under more scrutiny.
Whatever the reason for the omission, it should not define the next chapter of his Ballon d’Or case.
How Raphinha's Current Form Could Shape His 2027 Ballon d'Or Case
Raphinha could have used the snub as an excuse to sulk or make a point about his omission. Instead, he has focused on improving. His comments about continuing to improve suggest he believes there is still more to come.
If Barcelona maintains this level and Raphinha stays fit and central to their attack, his 2026 omission will become an important part of the story around his next Ballon d’Or campaign. His performances have already put him back in the conversation for 2027.
