Sport
Neymar Says Ballon d’Or Made a Joke by Putting Raphinha in Fifth Place
Santos striker Neymar has openly criticized the Ballon d’Or organizers after Barcelona winger Raphinha was ranked fifth in the 2025 edition of the award.
The 33-year-old didn’t hide his frustration, branding the decision as nothing short of a joke. Neymar took to Instagram shortly after the ceremony on Monday night, writing that placing Raphinha in fifth place was “too much of a joke.”
The 2025 Ballon d’Or was claimed by Ousmane Dembele, who finished ahead of teenage sensation Lamine Yamal, with Vitinha and Mohamed Salah also ahead of Raphinha in the standings.
Neymar, however, believes his compatriot deserved more recognition. Raphinha was a standout performer for Barcelona last season, playing a vital role in their LaLiga and Copa del Rey triumphs. Across all competitions, the former Leeds United star registered 56 goal contributions in 57 matches, making him one of the club’s most influential players.
Ghanaian Referee, Daniel Laryea, who officiated the Nigeria vs Morocco game in AFCON gets interviews and shared his experience.
The referee reveals how it was his first time in a semi final and was kind of nervous. “I’ve been to three AFCON tournaments, but this is the first time I’ve been in a semi-final.”
“So when coaches choose you for that game, they know your skills and what you can do. But of course, you feel a little nervous because of the level of the match.”
Nigerian Footballer, Bright Osayi-Samuel , react to match as Super Eagles lose to Morocco.
The player calls out CAF for their referee appointment. He shares how the Ghanaian Referee was tough on the field and made bad choices.
“One thing I would say is that the referee was really bad. I’m not saying that was the reason we lost. He is making really bad choices and it’s really tough to watch because we have referees like this in big games like today.
He then praises Morocco for a good game “But Morocco did really well.”
Super Eagles Coach, Eric Chelle speaks and shared why Nigeria lost the AFCON match to Morocco.
It can be noted that the match was held on the 14th of January, 2026. Nigeria lost the match with a draft in the penalties, 4-2.
During a recent interview, Chelle shared his observations about the match and shared why they lost.
“From a technical point of view, the Super Eagles weren’t at the same level as we displayed in our other matches.”
“I don’t want to say the reason was fatigue, but the truth is that we lacked movement and power.”
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