Brazil witnessed a weak reaction to Raphinha's fifth place in the Ballon d'Or, which many considered unfair this year, alongside the situation of another Barcelona player, Pedri, as reported by the Spanish newspaper "Sport".

Neymar Junior was the only exception, as he openly expressed his dissatisfaction with the ranking, describing the voting as a farce in an Instagram post, while the rest of the Brazilian sports media and international players showed little interest.

Before the ceremony, Brazilian goalkeeper Alisson, who was nominated for the Best Goalkeeper award, stated that he would have given the Ballon d'Or to Raphinha, both hailing from the state of Rio Grande do Sul.

It is noteworthy that Raphinha has never abandoned the Brazilian national team and has maintained the team's cohesion during the continental qualifying crisis that lasted until Carlo Ancelotti took over the Seleção in late May, increasing the disappointment regarding the lack of recognition he received from the media.

The stark contrast with the situation a year ago is highlighted when Vinicius Junior's loss to Rodri caused a wide uproar in Brazil, while the media this year ignored Raphinha's Ballon d'Or voting, despite the fact that the last player from Rio Grande do Sul to reach the podium was Ronaldinho in 2005 as a Barcelona player, finishing third a year prior.