The glittering FIFA Best Awards ceremony in Doha on Tuesday night was not without controversy, as the announcement of the FIFPRO Men's World 11 left at least one WAG utterly baffled.
Wife's Stunned Social Media Reaction
Natalia Rodrigues, the wife of FC Barcelona winger Raphinha, was left astounded when her husband's name was conspicuously absent from the prestigious team of the year. The Brazilian forward was a notable omission, alongside other global superstars like Manchester City's Erling Haaland and Liverpool's Mo Salah.
Rodrigues took to Instagram to voice her disbelief. According to Portuguese outlet A Bola, she posted a since-deleted story which read: 'Is Raphinha a basketball player?' The pointed question highlighted her view that the winger's footballing achievements had been inexplicably overlooked by the voters.
A Stellar Year Overlooked?
Raphinha's exclusion raises eyebrows given his phenomenal 2024-25 campaign. The former Leeds United player was instrumental for Barcelona, contributing an impressive 34 goals and 26 assists as the Catalan giants secured the La Liga title and reached the UEFA Champions League semi-finals.
These exploits earned him fifth place in the Ballon d'Or rankings in September and saw him crowned La Liga's best player for the 2024-25 season, beating out teammate Lamine Yamal. However, a mitigating factor for his FIFA snub could be his limited involvement this season, having played only 10 games for Barcelona due to injury.
The Winning XI and Major Award Honours
The FIFA FIFPRO Men's World 11, selected by fellow professional players, lined up as follows: Gigi Donnarumma in goal; a defence of Achraf Hakimi, William Pacho, Virgil van Dijk, and Nuno Mendes; a midfield quartet of Cole Palmer, Jude Bellingham, Vitinha, and Pedri; with a forward line of Lamine Yamal and Ousmane Dembele.
The night's biggest individual prize, The Best FIFA Men's Player award, went to Paris Saint-Germain and France forward Ousmane Dembele. He capped a historic year, scoring 51 goals in 53 games last season. His PSG teammate, Gigi Donnarumma, was named The Best FIFA Men's Goalkeeper.
Other major awards saw Spain and Barcelona's Aitana Bonmati win The Best FIFA Women's Player for a third consecutive year. England manager Sarina Wiegman was named best women's coach for a fifth time, while PSG's Luis Enrique took the men's coaching honour. England's Hannah Hampton was named best women's goalkeeper after helping the Lionesses retain their European crown.
FIFA, which has faced criticism over 2026 World Cup ticket prices, stated the awards are based on 'on-field performance and general conduct on and off the pitch' for players, and team performance and conduct for coaches.
