Barcelona star Raphinha didn't need many words to name his pick for the 2026 Ballon d'Or. The Brazilian sent a direct message to team-mate Lamine Yamal, confirming he sees him as the most deserving of the award.
After the crushing 7-2 win over Racing Santander, Yamal posted a photo on Instagram of himself lying on the pitch during the match. The scene captured the scale of the effort Barcelona's players poured into the game, one in which they created 30 chances against their opponent's goal.
Left off the 30-man shortlist himself, Raphinha replied to the photo with a short but pointed show of support for his team-mate: "You are a phenomenon.. you are my candidate for the Ballon d'Or."
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Support from within Barcelona
Raphinha's stance doesn't stand alone inside the club. Yamal enjoys wide backing from the dressing room, alongside coach Hansi Flick, president Joan Laporta and his deputy Rafa Yuste, all of whom have already thrown their weight behind the young player's candidacy.
The teenager wants to enter Ballon d'Or history through the grandest of doors, becoming the youngest player ever crowned with the prestigious award.
Organisers will announce the winner on 26 October in London, amid fierce debate over who will claim it.
A reply to Mbappé?
Raphinha's words land alongside the latest comments from Real Madrid star Kylian Mbappé on his own claim to the award this year.
Speaking on Thursday to the newspaper "AS", Mbappé said: "I believe this year is the right one to win the Ballon d'Or. The best proof of that is my feet. Whatever I say, the most important thing for me remains the return of the Ballon d'Or to Real Madrid. It must return to the Bernabéu, to the Madrid fans, to bring joy back to all their hearts. They deserve it more than anyone else."
More than once, Mbappé has insisted he is the most deserving winner this season, arguing that no player has delivered a better performance than him.
Read also:
After 24 hours: Raphinha's hat-trick knocks Mbappé off the top of the scorers' chart
An unstoppable attacking duo
Raphinha's backing comes as the pair enjoy an exceptional start with Barcelona, having become Flick's most potent attacking weapons.
Six rounds into the Spanish league, Raphinha has scored 9 goals to Yamal's 7, taking their combined tally to 16.
You have to go back 86 years to find the last Barcelona duo to score that many across the first six rounds of the campaign.
Raphinha stole the spotlight against Racing with a hat-trick, lifting his tally to 9 goals in 6 matches and matching the figure Lionel Messi managed over the same stretch of the 2017-2018 season.
Yamal, meanwhile, got on the scoresheet in the seven-goal haul, taking him to 7 goals in the competition.
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