“Injustice” – Raphinha’s wife blasts FIFA XI snub

Raphinha’s omission from The Best FIFA XI has sparked a strong reaction from his wife, Natalia Rodrigues, following another high-profile individual snub for the Barcelona forward.

The Brazilian winger was left out of FIFA’s final XI despite an outstanding 2024/25 season in which he played a crucial role as Barcelona clinched La Liga, the Copa del Rey and the Spanish Super Cup, while also finishing as La Liga Player of the Season.

Wife reacts angrily to latest omission

Rodrigues took to Instagram to vent her frustration, describing the decision as an “injustice” and questioning the criteria used to select the final XI.

In a series of posts that were later deleted, she sarcastically asked whether Raphinha was “playing basketball” and suggested the bias was no longer being concealed.

Raphinha had been included in FIFA’s initial 26-man shortlist but failed to receive enough votes to make the final cut.

Barcelona teammates Pedri and Lamine Yamal were selected, alongside Ousmane Dembélé, Jude Bellingham and Cole Palmer.

Strong numbers, limited recognition

The omission is particularly striking given Raphinha’s output last season. He recorded 18 goals and 10 assists in 36 league games and was widely viewed as one of Europe’s most decisive wide attackers.

Despite this, he was also excluded from the FIFPro World XI.

Raphinha previously responded to that snub by posting his goals, assists and trophies on social media, proving what he felt was a clear disconnect between performance and recognition.

Ballon d’Or disappointment and backing from peers

The 28-year-old was also tipped as a Ballon d’Or contender but finished fifth, with the award going to Dembélé after PSG’s treble-winning campaign.

Raphinha later admitted he felt he deserved more acknowledgment but stressed that individual awards remain outside his control.

Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone has publicly backed the Barcelona winger, describing him as an all-round elite player and questioning how he failed to top the Ballon d’Or rankings.

Focus shifts back to football

After an injury-disrupted start to the current season, Raphinha is back to full fitness and delivering again, with six goals and three assists in 10 La Liga appearances.

Barcelona sit four points clear at the top of the table, and the forward is expected to remain central to Hansi Flick’s plans as the season progresses.