Raphinha caps off 2025 with another great game: goal and MVP against Villarreal

Published New:21/12/2025 - 19:28h

Updated New:21/12/2025 - 19:28h

Raphinha capped off a magical 2025 with another stellar performance against Villarreal (0-2). The Brazilian earned a penalty, which he himself converted for the first Blaugrana goal, his seventh in LaLiga 25/26

Beyond the FIFA and 'France Football' snub in The Best and Ballon d'Or galas, Raphinha closed a spectacular 2025 with FC Barcelona, shining in the Blaugrana's visit to Villarreal (0-2). The Brazilian took home the MVP award in a match where he drew and scored a penalty in the first half, as well as hitting the crossbar with a shot that was inches away from being the goal of the day.

The '11' was Barça's best player in a first half where Villarreal had several opportunities to at least go into halftime with a draw. In the 10th minute, a breakthrough by the Porto Alegre native on the right provoked a clear foul by **Santi Comesaña** inside the box. The main referee, Javier Alberola Rojas, did not hesitate to award the penalty, and Rapha himself took charge of the conversion.

With composure and personality, the Brazilian fooled the goalkeeper Luiz Júnior with a dry right-footed shot. Five minutes later, the 28-year-old forward **hit the crossbar with a thunderous strike** from the edge of the box, which the Portuguese keeper watched go by

Third full game for Raphinha in 25/26

In the final stretch of the first half, Raphinha came close to adding an assist for **Ferran Torres**, but the '7' couldn't comfortably head a good cross from the left. In the second half, with Villarreal down to ten men, Lamine Yamal sealed the match with a beautiful goal in the 63rd minute.

Rapha narrowly missed a brace again in the 74th minute, with a shot across goal that went wide of the post, after being set up by Lamine. The lead on the scoreboard and on the field led Hansi Flick to keep the Brazilian on for the full 90 minutes at La Cerámica, this being only the Brazilian's third full match in the 25726.

Raphinha closes 2025 on fire in LaLiga

The South American forward was injured for two months, from the end of September to the end of November, but he has managed to return to his best form in LaLiga (4 goals and 1 assist in 5 matchdays) in the final stretch of what has undoubtedly been his best year as a professional.

Since Flick's arrival on the bench, no Barça player has been as influential (41 goals and 26 assists in 71 games) in Barcelona. Furthermore, the fans and the locker room consider him an undisputed leader and benchmark. With him on the field, the Blaugrana team will always have many more options to secure victory.