Leeds United icon Raphinha proved once again on Wednesday that he is the lead contender to win the 2025 Ballon d’Or after having a hand in three of Barcelona’s four goals against Borussia Dortmund.
Three years on from saving Leeds United on the final day of the 2021-22 season under Jesse Marsch at Brentford, Raphinha is starring in the Champions League while wearing the captain’s armband at Barca.
One third of a lethal trio that also includes Robert Lewandowski and Lamine Yamal, Raphinha played a key role in putting Dortmund to the sword on Wednesday night. Three goals and assists in a 4-0 first-leg win.
Raphinha opened the scoring before laying on an assist for both Lewandowski and Yamal on the night. A win that pretty-much secures Barcelona’s place in the semi-finals of the Champions League this season.
Thierry Henry makes bizarre Leeds United claim about Raphinha
Ask most Leeds fans, and they will agree that Raphinha is probably the best player to ever pull on the Leeds shirt this side of the century. After 29 goals and assists in 67 Leeds games, he moved to Barcelona.
Two decent seasons came before a mercurial third, in which Raphinha has taken his tally to 50 goals and assists this term. Thierry Henry has previously said that Raphinha is the favourite for the Ballon d’Or.
Talking to CBS Sports on Wednesday, Henry made a bizarre claim in which he suggests that the former Sporting Lisbon man struggled to settle at Leeds – even though he instantly starred in Yorkshire.
“Maybe because of where he’s from, adapting to Barcelona might have been a bit easier than adapting to Leeds. The team wasn’t playing well, you’re playing with Pedri, de Jong. You can stay high and wide.
“You’re not going to get the ball past the halfway line, someone in your back when you need to dribble [past] one, two, three. Having said that, he’s not cheating, he’s always defending, always running back.”
How much Leeds get if Raphinha wins the Champions League
Recently, Raphinha matched Ronaldo’s record for Barcelona of 48 goals for the Nou Camp outfit. The winger is driving Barcelona towards the Champions League title, which would see Leeds net a £10m fee.
Certainly, Arsenal look set to knock Real Madrid out of the competition while Inter got the better of Bayern Munich. It hands Raphinha and Barcelona a real chance of winning the Champions League.
If he does win the Champions League, the not only does it see Leeds receive a tidy bit of cash but it should help Raphinha seal what he deserves and Henry has predicted – the coveted Ballon d’Or.
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