‘It’s crossed my mind’ – Raphinha makes Ballon d’Or admission amid stunning Barcelona season

Barcelona star Raphinha has admitted that winning the Ballon d’Or has crossed his mind as he continues to enjoy a stellar star.

The Brazilian has been one of Barcelona’s standouts this season and a major reason why Hansi Flick’s side are still fighting on all three fronts this season.

He’s been tipped to go on and win the Ballon d’Or several times already and admits he has thought about lifting the Golden Ball.

“It’s only natural that it would cross my mind, and if I told you otherwise I would be lying,” he told Romario on his TV channel.

“But I try to put that aside and focus on my personal goals in my career, whether in terms of scoring goals, making assists, or winning titles.

“I think if I achieve all the goals I wrote in my notebook by the end of the season, the possibility of winning an individual award will be very high.

“But I don’t like to focus too much on the Ballon d’Or or any individual award, because thinking about it too much can become a distraction.”

Raphinha has other trophies to think about before then. He’s set to return from international duty with Barca top of La Liga, into the quarter-finals of the Champions League and one game away from reaching the Copa del Rey final.