Raphinha Leads Brazil's Contenders at 2025 FIFA Best Awards Amid Debate on Football Competition Fairness

The 2025 FIFA Best Football Awards ceremony, held on October 16 in Doha, Qatar, spotlighted Brazil through Raphinha, the sole Brazilian nominated for the Best Player award. Raphinha's impactful role in Barcelona's victories in La Liga and the Copa do Rei during the 2024/2025 season earned him this prestigious recognition. Alongside Raphinha, other nominees included Lamine Yamal, Pedri from Barcelona; Harry Kane of Bayern Munich; Cole Palmer of Chelsea; Kylian Mbappé from Real Madrid; Mohamed Salah from Liverpool; and PSG's Ousmane Dembélé and Achraf Hakimi. Notably, the current world best player is Brazilian Vinicius Júnior of Real Madrid. However, Brazil was absent from nominations in the women’s categories.

The awards also revealed the ideal team of the year, shaped by performances from the June 2024 to May 2025 European season, with possibilities of Brazilians like Alisson, Fábio, and Thiago Silva making the team. FIFA streamed the event live on its official channels.

In parallel, a discourse on international football governance emerged as the Intercontinental Cup adopted a format favoring European champions' direct access to the final, sparking allegations of ethnocentrism and colonialist attitudes within the sport. Critics argue this structure unjustly privileges European clubs, despite their substantial financial power, compelling other continental champions to compete in preliminary rounds merely for the right to face the European winners. The call from several football confederations aims to challenge this inequity, emphasizing the necessity of preserving fair competition that sustains football’s unpredictability and excitement.

This dual narrative highlights Brazil's continued prominence on the global football stage through individual excellence while spotlighting broader conversations about fairness and inclusivity in international football competitions.