Barcelona winger Raphinha has been named the 2024-2025 La Liga Player of the Season, capping off an exceptional year that saw him play a key role in leading the Catalan giants to the league title.
La Liga made the official announcement on Friday highlighting Raphinha’s consistent brilliance throughout the season.
The Brazilian forward made 36 appearances in the league, starting 32 matches and averaging 79 minutes per game.
He ended the season with 18 goals and 9 assists, ranking sixth in the league’s scoring chart and second in assists — behind only his teenage teammate, Lamine Yamal.
Raphinha’s dynamic performances were instrumental in Barcelona’s successful campaign, earning him plaudits from fans, pundits, and now the league’s top individual honour.
As Raphinha basks in the glory of his club’s success, attention quickly shifts to the international stage, where his return is eagerly awaited by Brazil’s new head coach, Carlo Ancelotti.
Following a disappointing 0-0 draw against Ecuador on Thursday in Guayaquil, Ancelotti pointed to poor pitch conditions and the absence of key players like Raphinha as factors that hindered Brazil’s attacking fluidity.
“I think the pitch conditions here made it a bit tricky to play a more intricate game from the back,” Ancelotti told reporters. “Yes, we could’ve done better in attack, but you’ve also got to take into account the strength of the opponent.”
Brazil currently sit fourth in the South American World Cup qualifying standings with 22 points, aiming to secure one of the six automatic spots for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the United States, Mexico, and Canada.
Looking ahead to Tuesday’s qualifier against Paraguay in São Paulo, Ancelotti is optimistic that Raphinha’s return will inject much-needed creativity and pace into the squad.
“There’s room to improve, of course… I’m sure we’ll improve in attack too because today we were missing a very important player. That’s Raphinha, who will be back,” said the Italian tactician. “I think the match against Paraguay will be different because we will have more opportunity to control the game.”
