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It is the shock of the night in Doha! Despite a statistically historic season, Barcelona’s Raphinha has been sensationally left out of the 2025 FIFA FIFPRO Men’s World XI.
The omission has triggered an immediate firestorm on social media, with fans and even the player's family labeling the decision a "robbery" and an "injustice."
The "Snub" by the Numbers
The anger surrounding Raphinha’s exclusion stems from his staggering output during the 2024/25 season, which many argue was superior to several players who did make the team:
62 Goal Contributions: Raphinha ended the season with a combined 38 goals and 24 assists in 64 games.
La Liga MVP: He was officially named the La Liga Player of the Season after leading Barcelona to a domestic treble (League, Cup, and Supercup).
UCL History: He matched Cristiano Ronaldo’s record for the most goal contributions in a single Champions League campaign with 21.
Ballon d'Or Ranking: He finished 5th in the 2025 Ballon d'Or voting, yet somehow missed out on a 11-man squad.
Immediate Reaction: "Injustice!"
The backlash was led by Raphinha’s wife, Natalia Rodrigues, who posted a series of scathing Instagram stories shortly after the ceremony:
"They don't even try to hide it anymore! 62 goal contributions and he didn't deserve a spot? INJUSTICE!"
Raphinha himself had previously hinted at his frustration back in November when the shortlist was released, posting 23 consecutive stories highlighting his trophies and MVP awards with laughing emojis.
Why did he miss out?
The FIFPRO World XI is the only global award voted on exclusively by professional players (over 26,000 votes).
This suggest that while the data favored Raphinha, his fellow professionals prioritized the "big game" impact of the PSG treble-winners and the breakout "hype" of Lamine Yamal and Cole Palmer.