Barcelona forward Raphinha expressed his disappointment on Tuesday after not being selected for the FIFPRO Men’s World 11. He took to social media to highlight his achievements from the previous season.
The 28-year-old scored 34 goals in 57 matches as Barça clinched the titles in LaLiga, the Copa del Rey, and the Spanish Supercopa last year. Despite his impressive performances, they were not enough to secure him a spot in the FIFPRO team of the year, which is chosen by over 20,000 professional male football players.
Among the attacking players selected instead were Lamine Yamal, Kylian Mbappé, Ousmane Dembélé, Cole Palmer, and Jude Bellingham.
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Raphinha, who placed fifth in the Ballon d’Or voting in September, responded to the exclusion by sharing over 15 posts on Instagram, celebrating his many accomplishments from last season. In addition to the trophies, he noted that he assisted 26 goals on top of his 34, was the joint top scorer in the Champions League with 13 goals, and earned the title of Player of the Season from LaLiga.
Meanwhile, his Barcelona teammate Yamal made history by becoming the youngest player ever included in the FIFPRO team, breaking the record previously set by a 19-year-old Mbappé in 2018.
Completing the team were goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, defenders Achraf Hakimi, Nuno Mendes, and Virgil van Dijk, as well as midfielders Vitinha and Pedri.
Currently sidelined with a hamstring injury, Raphinha has missed the last seven matches for Barça after starting the season with three goals in his first seven games. He has also been excluded from Carlo Ancelotti’s Brazil squad for upcoming friendlies against Senegal and Tunisia.
Raphinha will also miss this week’s Champions League match against Club Brugge, but is expected to make a return soon, as coach Hansi Flick expressed his eagerness to have him back in the lineup. “I miss Raphinha because he was very important last season,” Flick stated recently. “When he plays at this level, he brings great value to our team. So yes, I definitely miss him.”