'This is not fake' - Tottenham striker Richarlison claims Ballon d'Or for himself in hilarious social media post

Ahead of Monday's Ballon d'Or ceremony, Richarlison has been enjoying himself on social media. The Brazilian star has posted an image of himself holding the Golden Ball trophy and added the caption "this is not fake" along with a laughing emoji. 

The 2025 Ballon d'Or looks set to go to either Dembele or Yamal after both players enjoyed stunning seasons in 2024-25. Dembele was in inspirational form as he fired PSG to four trophies, including a first ever Champions League triumph. Meanwhile, Yamal was integral for Barcelona and ended the campaign with La Liga, Copa del Rey and Spanish Super Cup titles.   

Richarlison made his feelings about the Ballon d'Or particularly clear last year after seeing Rodri pip Brazil team-mate Vinicius Jr to the prestigious prize. The Tottenham star raged on Instagram: "All of us who live football eagerly await the individual awards each season. Today, all Brazilians who love football woke up expecting to see another player from our country win an award for the best in the world after so long. Unfortunately, for reasons that no one can understand, the award did not come. And don’t get me wrong, Rodri is a great player who deserves to be among the best. But Vini not winning the Ballon d’Or was embarrassing, and the only one who lost today was football. I remember Vini saying that his dream was to see the whole of Brazil cheering for him. And that day was today! ou are a giant and the best in the world, kid! And no trophy will change that. Keep going and never shut up! We’re together."   

Richarlison may be dreaming of winning the Ballon d'Or, but he may well be brought down to earth on Tuesday when Tottenham face Doncaster Rovers in the third round of the EFL Cup.