"I don’t see anyone ahead of them" - Rivaldo names Barcelona duo as his favorites to win the Ballon d'Or this year
Rivaldo has backed Barcelona duo Lamine Yamal and Raphinha for the Ballon d'Or this year. He believes that they have been the best so far and are edging out Vinicius Jr. and Mohamed Salah.
Speaking to SPORT, Rivaldo claimed that he does not see anyone ahead of Yamal and Raphinha in the race for the French Football trophy. He added that Salah and Vinicius Jr. are having good seasons, but the ultimate winner is likely to be decided by who wins more trophies.
He said:
“At this moment, I don’t see anyone ahead of Lamine and Raphinha in the Ballon d’Or race. Perhaps outside of Spain, Salah is a strong candidate because of his season, and Vinícius will always be in the conversation. But this will depend a lot on Barcelona and their ability to win collective titles. Both are having excellent seasons.”
Rivaldo heaped praise on the Barcelona duo for their performances this season and said:
“Yamal is playing with a lot of maturity for his age, and Raphinha is also a strong Ballon d’Or candidate, especially because of his recent performances. He’s scoring goals, providing assists, and playing with a lot of creativity and determination. He’s definitely a standout contender.”
Vinicius Jr. and Real Madrid boycotted the Ballon d'Or gala in 2024 after finding out that Rodri was winning the award. The Real Madrid star vowed to do better this season and get back in the race.
Barcelona stars have backed Lamine Yamal for Ballon d'Or
Pau Cubarsí spoke to RAC1 earlier this season and claimed that Lamine Yamal was set to win the Ballon d'Or soon. He stated that the Spaniard has all it takes to get his hands on the prestigious award, adding:
"Now everyone sees what he is, but I've known him for years and I know what he's like. I think he has the ability to win it [Ballon d'Or]."
When asked if the performances have surprised him and if Yamal has a ceiling, he added:
"I don't think so. As he is right now, he's at a spectacular level and to have him at that level in our team helps us a lot. He is full of confidence and that makes us happy."
Lamine Yamal has scored five goals and assisted nine times in the league for Barcelona this season.
