Diego Simeone reveals which La Liga star deserved to win 2025 Ballon d’Or ahead of Paris Saint-Germain forward Ousmane Dembele

The France international made 49 appearances across all competitions last term, producing 33 goals and 15 assists.

However, Simeone said that he did not understand how one of Barcelona’s key men up top failed to win the award this year.

Teenage sensation Lamine Yamal finished as the runner-up to Dembele in the rankings, but the Atletico Madrid boss was full of praise for the player who finished in fifth position.

“Raphinha is an incredible player,” Simeone said in his post-match press conference on Tuesday. “He can play everywhere.

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“As a winger, as a midfielder, as a striker, or even as a wing back.He can score, can create, he presses and runs.

“I don’t know how he didn’t win the Ballon d’Or. For me, I would choose him always.”

Simeone was speaking after the Brazil international had inspired the Catalan outfit to claim a comeback victory against Atletico at the Camp Nou on Tuesday night.

The result extended Barca’s lead at the top of the table to four points, and left Madrid in fourth place.

Simeone was proud of his side’s performance despite the loss.

“We started well, but they managed to hurt us inside, with the ball filtered inside,” the Atletico boss added.

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“In the second half it was the opposite: they started a little better but, after 20 minutes, we were the ones who looked for the game.

“We couldn’t complete it, but I liked the team.

“We know that they have very good feet and that they play with a lot of people inside so that disorder appears in the rival centre-backs, and today it worked very well for them.

“But I feel very calm and happy with what the team did.This will help us to improve. Now, a tough match also in Bilbao.”