After a season where both players dazzled for club and country, Raphinha was among the top five contenders for the prestigious award. ..Continue Reading
Yet when Dembele’s name echoed through the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris, the Brazilian didn’t flinch. He smiled. He clapped.
He embraced his former Barcelona teammate. It was a moment of pure sportsmanship, and fans on X (formerly Twitter) were quick to notice, though some do not agree.
One said: He’s just a simple guy btw
A second fan said: So people can’t be happy for other people now days they have to hate someone to be happy for another, these are people before footballers, dembele deserved this award and raphina deserved to be above yamal
A third fan said: Bro knew it was better for Dembele to win than Yamal who crowns himself ????
Another said: Bro knew about the pr yamal was getting so he’s happy Dembele has won it????????
One added: Cos you can be happy for others . Something your Saudi fraud can’t relate too. Or your Madrid player who don’t even like each other
Another one claimed: Nah its just just that raphinha isnt petty like mbappe who shouldve supported his national teammate
Earlier in the evening, Raphinha had told CBS Sports: “In my opinion we both deserve it a lot, we’d be very happy that the Ballon d’Or goes to Barcelona.”
And even though Dembele now wears PSG colours, the sentiment remained. Raphinha’s reaction wasn’t just about losing gracefully—it was about celebrating greatness, even when it’s not your own.
Dembele, who received the award from Brazil legend Ronaldinho, acknowledged the collective effort behind his success:
“I want to thank all my teammates. I want to thank FC Barcelona, the club of my dreams. I played with Lionel Messi, I want to thank him too, I learned so much from him.”
But it was Raphinha’s quiet grace that resonated most with fans. In a sport often dominated by rivalry and ego, his response reminded us that football is still a brotherhood.
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