Barcelona attacker second on L’Equipe’s poll for Ballon d’Or favourites | OneFootball

Barcelona’s blistering season under Hansi Flick means Barça players could dominate the podium in the next edition of the Ballon d’Or gala.

Raphinha, in particular, stands out in this regard, having emerged as one of Europe’s best performing players this season.

With a total of 27 goals and 19 assists in all competitions, Raphinha’s performances have somehow overshadowed both Robert Lewandowski and Lamine Yamal, both of who have been quite brilliant this season.

Raphinha’s fantastic season has now even made him one of the top contenders for the 2025 Ballon d’Or trophy.

Raphinha second in L’Equipe’s Ballon d’Or poll

In a recent poll conducted by L’Equipe regarding the next contender to win Ballon d’Or, Raphinha finished second, just behind Ousmane Dembele.

The Brazilian leads an elite list involving the likes of Kylian Mbappe, Yamal and Mohamed Salah, whose chances of winning the Ballon d’Or could be all but gone following Liverpool’s elimination from the UEFA Champions League.

In the poll, Raphinha bagged 25% of the votes, which, though significant, pales in comparison to Dembele, who has won 40.9% of the votes.

However, it must be noted that L’Equipe is owned by the Amaury Group, which has close connections with football in France and therefore, the audience of the L’Equipe poll could heavily bias towards the French side.

Nevertheless, Dembele leading the list might not surprise many either, as the former Barcelona star has been having the season of his life under Luis Enrique.

Dembele has scored 29 goals this season – more than Raphinha – while mustering six assists in all competitions.

Therefore, the 2025 Ballon d’Or race could come down to two players – Raphinha and Dembele. Which one will bag the coveted award could depend on the performances of their respective teams in the UEFA Champions League this season.