This is what Leeds United would have earned if Raphinha won the Ballon D’or
Former Leeds star Raphinha missed out on the 2025 Ballon d’Or, as Ousmane Dembele won the prestigious award at a ceremony in Paris on Monday.
Raphinha was listed as one of the Ballon d’Or nominees after scoring 34 goals and delivering 22 assists for Barcelona last season, also being named La Liga player of the year.
Ultimately, though, his efforts were only enough for him to finish fifth in the Ballon d’Or rankings.
Dembele won the trophy for his efforts in helping Paris Saint-Germain win the domestic double, Champions League and UEFA Super Cup.
It’s a first Ballon d’Or win for Dembele, who is believed to be a surprise Leeds supporter. However, Raphina’s failure to win the trophy means that the Whites miss out on a significant payout.
Leeds would have earned £10million if Raphinha won the Ballon d’Or
Leeds sold Raphinha to Barcelona in 2022 in a deal worth up to £55million, including add-ons.
It was previously reported that one of those add-ons was a £10m bonus if Raphinha wins the Ballon d’Or.
The clause shows how highly Leeds valued Raphinha at the time of the sale. The good news is that it stays in place for as long as he remains a Barcelona player.
It has also been reported that Leeds will earn £10m if Barcelona win the Champions League with Raphinha in their squad, with £20m still on the line.
Leeds could have earned more for Raphinha
When Leeds sold Raphinha at the end of the 2021/22 season, it was judged as a good deal for the Whites.
They may have lost their most creative playmaker, but it was seen as a healthy fee that they received.
| Raphinha 2024/25 statistics | |
| Games played | 57 |
| Goals | 34 |
| Assists | 22 |
In hindsight, it now looks like Leeds could have earned a lot more from the sale of the Brazilian winger.
Just over three years later, Raphinha must surely be worth over £100m if any team wanted to take him off Barcelona’s hands.
At 28 years old, he will likely still have a few years remaining at peak form. He already has five goal contributions for Barcelona this season. Perhaps he’ll perform even better during this campaign, win next year’s Ballon d’Or and earn Leeds that payout.
One thing’s for sure, everyone at Elland Road will be willing him on.
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