Raphinha’s wife was left stunned when the Barcelona winger was surprisingly omitted from FIFA’s best eleven of the year on Tuesday evening.
The lineup was announced in Doha, Qatar, where a host of football’s biggest names flocked for FIFA’s annual awards ceremony.
Gigi Donnarumma was named in goal behind a back four of Achraf Hakimi, William Pacho, Virgil van Dijk and Nuno Mendes, a midfield quartet consisting of Cole Palmer, Jude Bellingham, Vitinha and Pedri and a front two of Lamine Yamal and Ousmane Dembele.
For most, the team of the year consisted of eleven deserving stars, all of whom achieved domestic or European success last term – but not for Raphinha’s partner Natalia Rodrigues.
The Barcelona winger was one of a few noticeable omissions alongside both Erling Haaland and Mo Salah and, taking to social media moments afterwards, Rodrigues was quick to express her bemusement.
According to Portuguese outlet A Bola, she wrote in a now-deleted Instagram story: ‘Is Raphinha a basketball player?’
The former Leeds winger has indeed enjoyed a stellar 2025, contributing 34 goals and 26 assists last season for Barcelona on their way to the Champions League semi-final and LaLiga title.
Those exploits earned him the fifth spot on the Ballon d’Or list back in September as well as LaLiga’s player of the year for 2024-25, beating his team-mate Lamine Yamal.
However the Brazilian has made just 10 appearances for the Catalan giants this term due to injury, perhaps leading to his omission from FIFA’s eleven.
Elsewhere at the awards show, PSG and France attacker Dembele closed out a stellar year as he was named FIFA’s men’s player of the year.
Dembele racked up 51 goal contributions in 53 games last term in what was a historic season for PSG, with Gigi Donnarumma named FIFA’s goalkeeper of the year on the night.
Hakimi, Mendes, Palmer, Pedri, Vitinha and Yamal were also nominated for the top men’s award, along with Harry Kane, Kylian Mbappe, Raphinha and Salah.
The FIFA Best women’s player award went to Spain and Barcelona’s Aitana Bonmati for the third year in a row.
England manager Sarina Wiegman is women’s coach of the year for a fifth time, with the men’s equivalent going to PSG’s Luis Enrique.
Hannah Hampton was named as the FIFA Best women’s goalkeeper after helping England retain their Euros crown in the summer.
Hampton, Lucy Bronze, Leah Williamson and Alessia Russo all made the women’s Best XI.
FIFA, under fire for their ticket prices for the 2026 World Cup, claim the awards are based on the ‘on-pitch performance and general conduct on and off the pitch’ for players and the ‘on-pitch performance and general behaviour of their teams on and off the pitch’ for coaches.
