Raphinha, the Brazilian winger of Barcelona, ​​recently made a shattering statement concerning the prestigious Ballon d’Or. During an interview, he expressed his total disinterest in future ceremonies to present this award. According to him, the Ballon d’Or has lost its aura and his respect over the years, a feeling that he shared with Cristiano Ronaldo, who has often criticized the voting system and the criteria that define the winner.

Raphinha did not stop there. He clearly insinuated that PSG and his former teammate Ousmane Dembélé had not deserved some of their collective and individual titles. According to him, these successes were more the result of relations and financial resources than real performance in the field. He said that clubs like PSG had the advantage of money and connections, which enabled them to influence decisions around individual rewards and distinctions.

Raphinha’s statements quickly attracted attention, not only of media, but also FIFA. The president of the organization, visibly annoyed by these criticisms, reacted firmly. He said FIFA rewards were based on objective criteria and a fair assessment of players’ performance, adding that such comments were unfounded and harmful to price integrity.

This conflict did not fail to create a shock wave in the world of football, and more particularly within FC Barcelona. Indeed, Raphinha’s declarations put the entire Barcelona team in a delicate position. On the one hand, some club players found themselves shared between their support for Raphinha, who expressed sincere frustrations concerning the dynamics of modern football, and on the other, more conservative voices which estimated that such accusations were harmful to the image of the club.

The rivalries in football, whether between players or between clubs, are still present, but Raphinha’s comments have opened a broader debate on the way in which the Ballon d’Or is perceived and the way in which football players are rewarded. The question of the influence of agents, public relations and the richness of clubs on the distribution of these awards remains a thorny question. Players, especially those who play in clubs with a more modest budget, can sometimes have the impression that their performance is not valued just due to the powerful connections of the big clubs.

Football, in all its glory, sometimes seems to be moving away from the values ​​that made it popular at the start: excellence, hard work and passion. Today, it seems that money and power have a preponderant place in decisions that shape the fate of players and clubs. Raphinha, by giving his version of the facts, highlighted this reality, which led to an immediate speech by FIFA to defend its system and try to calm the situation.

In this context, it remains to be seen if Raphinha’s criticism will have a lasting impact on the way in which prices are received and awarded, or if it will simply be another fleeting controversy in the ruthless world of football.