Barcelona forward Raphinha collected a double honour in the same week the 30-man Ballon d'Or shortlist dropped. UEFA named him in their Champions League team of the week for the opening round, and La Liga crowned him their best player for August.
UEFA's technical observers picked the Brazilian for his display against Feyenoord, where he scored twice. The first was a beauty, arriving after he skipped past two Dutch defenders.
Praising the Barcelona captain, UEFA said he led the attacking press with real intensity and burst in behind the defensive line to create danger. His movement and passing between the lines set the tone before he capped it all with two goals.
Three former Barcelona players joined Raphinha in the side. Sergiño Dest of PSV Eindhoven made the cut, as did Real Betis defender Marc Bartra, who scored twice against Stuttgart, and Paris Saint-Germain forward Ferran Torres, who bagged a hat-trick against Slovan Bratislava at the Parc des Princes.
La Liga then handed Raphinha his second accolade, naming him their best player for August after his blistering start with Barcelona.
Eight goals in five matches across all competitions tells the story. Six of those came in four La Liga games: two against Elche, one against Athletic Bilbao, two against Rayo Vallecano and one against Valencia.
All of this landed at an awkward moment. Raphinha's name, like Pedri's, was nowhere to be seen on the 30-man Ballon d'Or shortlist.