FIFA have confirmed the 11 players who have been selected for the World's Best XI for 2025. But, after Raphinha was omitted from the team, the Barcelona star's wife has voiced her fury in four separate Instagram stories.
Players are selected for the prestigious team by a panel of football experts and fans from around the world, with each vote carrying the same weight. Nine places are awarded to the goalkeeper, three defenders, three midfielders and two forwards with the most scoring points, while the next two outfield players with the most scoring points complete the team.
Unsurprisingly, the XI was dominated by Paris Saint-Germain's 2024/25 team, after their incredible season saw them lift all three domestic trophies and the Champions League too. Gianluigi Donnarumma, Achraf Hakimi, Willian Pacho, Nuno Mendes, Vitinha and Ousmane Dembele were joined in the team by Virgil van Dijk, Cole Palmer, Pedri, Jude Bellingham and Lamine Yamal.
Raphinha's Wife Fumes After Omission From FIFA Men's XI
FC Barcelona's Raphinha, his partner Natalia Rodrigues Belloli and child pose for photo
Ballon d'Or - Arrivals - Theatre du Chatelet, Paris, France - September 22, 2025 FC Barcelona's Raphinha, his partner Natalia Rodrigues Belloli and child pose for a photo REUTERS/Benoit Tessier
However, one player who might have felt he deserved to make the cut is Raphinha after his stellar season at the Camp Nou. The Brazilian, who finished fifth in the race for the Ballon d'Or, ended 2024/25 with 60 goal contributions for Barcelona in 57 games across all competitions and led the leaderboards for both goals and assists in the Champions League.
The decision not to include him might surprise the winger, but his wife has taken the news particularly poorly. Taking to social media, she posted a series of stories on Instagram, initially writing: "They don’t even hide it anymore!"
That was then followed up with a second post which highlighted Raphina's numbers in all competitions, which said: "62 G/A… But he didn’t deserve to be included in the XI." She then posted two more times, with the images accompanied by captions that read, "INJUSTICE!" and "Is Raphinha a Basketball player?!" All four stories have since been deleted, but not before they were screenshotted and shared across platforms.
Check Out All Four Posts Below:
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Dembele Scoops Best Men's Player
Paris St Germain's Ousmane Dembele celebrates
Coupe de France - Semi Final - USL Dunkerque v Paris St Germain - Decathlon Arena Stade Pierre-Mauroy, Villeneuve-d'Ascq, France - April 1, 2025 Paris St Germain's Ousmane Dembele celebrates scoring their fourth goal REUTERS/Stephanie Lecocq
Having already secured the 2025 Ballon d'Or earlier this year, Dembele also scooped the Best Men's Player prize, beating the likes of Yamal and Vitinha to the award. It was a similar story in the Women's edition, as three-time Ballon d'Or winner Aitana Bonmati collected the Best Female Player.
Luis Enrique and Sarina Wiegman's efforts at Paris Saint-Germain and England, respectively, were enough for both managers to be named the best male and female coach. And Donnarumma, now of Manchester City, also collected the Best Men's Goalkeeper award, while Hannah Hampton capped a fantastic year by earning the Best Women's Goalkeeper gong.