Raphinha and his Ballon d'Or candidacy: "Thinking too much about it can become a distraction"

Raphinha has become one of the names of the moment, not only for FC Barcelona and the 'Canarinha', who are the main beneficiaries of his great level of play right now, but also in the international sports scene. People are starting to appreciate how the left winger is accumulating numbers (27 goals and 20 assists in 42 matches) that gradually consolidate a very serious candidacy for the Ballon d'Or.

Specifically, Raphinha had the opportunity to talk about this in an interview with Romário on his YouTube channel. Among other things, he commented on the increasingly supported option to win the Ballon d'Or. The left winger has shown that he is aware of this candidacy, but he does not lose focus on his current sporting situation. "It's normal for it to cross my mind, and if I told you otherwise, I would be lying. But I try to set it aside and focus on my personal goals in my career, whether it's scoring goals, providing assists, or winning titles," he emphasized.

"It's normal for it to cross my mind, and if I told you otherwise, I would be lying"

In the same line of reasoning, he explained why he does not pay much attention to the topic of the Ballon d'Or, although he acknowledges that he is achieving key objectives to be considered for such a prestigious award. "I believe that if I achieve all the goals I wrote down in my notebook by the end of the season, the possibility of winning an individual award will be very high, but I don't like to focus too much on the Ballon d'Or, because thinking too much about it can become a distraction. My main goal is to score goals, create chances, win titles, and enjoy playing," he warned.

"I don't like to focus too much on the Ballon d'Or, because thinking too much about it can become a distraction"

Romário took the opportunity to remind Raphinha that he is achieving a feat with the goals he is scoring in the Champions League with FC Barcelona, setting a record for goals scored by a Brazilian in a single edition. The '11' culé, maintaining his humility, pointed out that he does not give it special consideration, although he is happy about it. "The truth is that I didn't even know I was so close to reaching those numbers. I found out when I was told, and it was a total surprise... I'm very happy to have achieved it," he replied.

"I'm having a great time at Barcelona. I can't describe it, it's incredible"

Raphinha did not hesitate to praise the level of play of Lewandowski and Lamine Yamal

Speaking about FC Barcelona, Raphinha mentioned two names in particular: Lamine Yamal and Robert Lewandowski. About the young Barça star, he highlighted: "He is an exceptional talent. Amazing. For me, it depends on him, but he has everything he needs to break records and win individual awards for years. It all depends on him," he asserted.

As for Lewandowski, Raphinha praised his unstoppable goal-scoring talent, also highlighting his great technical ability. "He is a goal machine, there is no doubt about that. He knows how to position himself, and it is no coincidence that during his three seasons at Barcelona, he scored more than 20 goals each season. It's not easy at all," he remarked.

'Rapha' also added some 'spice' to the pre-match between Argentina and Brazil

Finally, regarding striking statements, Raphinha made a strong assertion that will surely not go unnoticed. The left winger, in the lead-up to the upcoming clash between Argentina and Brazil in the South American qualifiers, expressed his confidence that his team will win with great superiority. "Let's give them a beating! For sure! Let's give them a beating! On the field and off the field if necessary!", he started saying.

At the same time, the forward acknowledged that, when asked if he would score in the match against the 'Albiceleste', he determinedly replied: "I will do it! To hell with them!". These statements have undoubtedly heated up the lead-up to the match and it will be interesting to see if he can back them up on the field.