Basketball or Bust? Rafinha’s Wife Roasts the 2025 Best XI

Natalia Rodriguez mocks Rafinha’s omission

Natalia Rodriguez, wife of Brazilian winger Rafinha, mocked his absence from FIFA's The Best XI 2025, announced Tuesday at a ceremony in Doha, Qatar.

The 2025 Best XI spotlighted many stellar performers from last season, including Kylian Mbappé for Real Madrid and Rafinha for Barcelona, while Mohamed Salah helped Liverpool clinch major honours.

Mbappé won the Golden Boot, Rafinha was a core figure in Barcelona's domestic treble, and Salah played a key role in Liverpool's Premier League title and top scorer award.

Natalia posted four Instagram stories highlighting Rafinha's numbers from last season, insisting that his absence in the XI is an injustice.

She wrote, "They’ve stopped trying to hide it—62 goal involvements, and he still doesn’t deserve a spot? That’s plain unfair."

The Best XI for 2025 is listed as follows: Goalkeeper Donnarumma; defense Hakimi, Batshu, van Dijk, Mendes; midfield Bellingham, Pedri, Vitinha, Palmer; attack Yamal, Dembele.

There’s also a snapshot of a Copa del Rey match card showing Guadalajara versus Barcelona, illustrating the broader scope of football coverage around the ceremony.

Bottom line: Rafinha’s wife isn’t shy about her view, and fans online have opinions on every position on the field.

Punchline time: That XI is so stacked, even the bench needs a vacation. Punchline two: If this lineup were a GPS route, it would keep recalculating—talk about a winger with commitment issues.