Barcelona’s Ballon d’Or aspirations: Pedri, Yamal and Raphinha

The Ballon d’Or has always dominated discussions on social media. It’s arguably the most prestigious trophy for individual players in the football sphere. 

For over a decade, there were only two candidates – Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. The eternal rivalry often ended in heated debates online, especially due to the Real Madrid & Barcelona feud. 

As both moved to other continents – Messi in the MLS and Ronaldo in the Middle East, they left a void in Ballon d’Or discussions. While some argue Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah should be a candidate, more than one Barcelona player could lift the trophy at the end of the season…

Lamine Yamal

Lamine Yamal remains one of the hottest candidates for the Ballon d’Or, which is hardly surprising. He may not be the most prolific goalscorer, but there’s no denying that reaching double figures in goals and assists is impressive, considering he’s still a minor. 

It’s not just the stats, though, but the way in which he continues to impress. At his age, it’s normal to improve – the eternal advantage of younger talents. Instead, it’s the fact that he’s frequently created opportunities when his team needed him the most. 

A player of this stature should also be a key selection for the national team – which is not the case for Mohamed Salah. The ‘Egyptian Pharaoh’ has struggled to make an impact with the nation’s colours. 

It’s undoubtedly what differentiates Lamine from Salah – in his first attempt, he won the EURO2024 with Spain. He registered one goal and four assists in 7 matches, making him one of the most important players of the tournament.

Yamal has already been compared with the all-time greats, including Barcelona’s Lionel Messi and Neymar Jr. Apart from Ousmane Dembélé, the club have not had a similar dribbler to Neymar. Lamine is a talent who keeps dribbling and will eventually pass – but above all, he is creative in his solutions. 

The Spanish talent provided creativity when the team found it difficult, and he had adapted to Flick’s physically demanding gegenpressing. Adjusting to new playstyles is not something just anyone can do. Especially at a young age, when excessive physical demands lead to ruptured ACLs. 

Raphinha

When Raphinha arrived in the Catalan capital, he was seen as a risky bet. He played for a relegation-bound side, and the cost had quite a few fans disagree with his purchase in crisis times. 

Barcelona supporters are used to wingers who get past their markers through creative dribbling – such as Lamine Yamal. Raphinha was none of that but had shown signs of improvement under Xavi Hernández.

The Flick era not only improved Raphinha’s performance but also created a true Renaissance. The Brazilian would now be more than a winger assisting Lewandowski. He would score regularly and has already reached the bar of 25 goals this season, which is about double what he scored last season. 

It’s not just that he scores that makes him impressive; it’s also when he scores. Raphinha managed to find solutions when the team seemed lost, such as the 5-4 victory against Benfica. 

Similarly to his teammate Lamine Yamal, Raphinha has barely had any rest this term. His situation is a little better, though, because he’s older and has already experienced a physically demanding system under Marcelo Bielsa. 

He’s an atypical Brazilian – not the type of dribbler who gets past everyone. What he does not do in attack, though, he brings to the defence. One of the main arguments of Raphinha fans has been his defensive commitments. It’s his movement that allows teammate Yamal to charge at the opponent without major consequence. 

Beyond that, Raphinha has often been found defending as deep as the midfield, considered unusual in Barcelona’s winger history. Given how active he is, it comes as a surprise that the Brazilian has not faced significant injury crises. We hope it stays that way.

Pedri

The list would not be complete without Pedri González. The Spaniard has undoubtedly been the most important midfielder of the season, as he’s stepped up in a variety of roles. Olmo would have been, but his injuries have prevented him from being mentioned. 

Pedri tends to play relatively deep, and this has been a debate of the past seasons.  A notable change came with Flick’s staff. Pedri’s injury crisis has been terminated because of the new medical staff. This has allowed the Canarian to remain consistent without fearing setbacks or severe injuries, as in the last seasons. 

Just like Raphinha, Pedri has already surpassed his March 2024-25 stats – scoring four goals and assisting another four. He’s had to deal with the absence of Gavi, once his partner in crime, but adapted well with the support of Marc Casadó, another La Masia midfielder. 

Pedri has recorded 44 created chances in 26 La Liga matches, many of which were not scored. Although he’s unlikely to be a serious candidate for the Ballon d’Or because he’s not a forward – he should not be forgotten as a major chance creator. 

Stats rarely show a midfielder’s impact, but Pedri’s quick, one-touch play speeds up counterattacks and creates big chances that algorithms can’t fully measure. 

Similarly to Yamal, he’s a player whose impact on the Spanish national team cannot be overstated. Although he plays a different role with the nation’s jersey, he remains one of the starters of the team. De La Fuente’s style is different, but Pedri has adapted well and was key in La Roja last year.