'This is not fake' – Tottenham striker Richarlison claims Ballon d'Or for himself in hilarious social media post

Tottenham striker Richarlison has been having some fun on social media and has claimed the prestigious Ballon d’Or for himself ahead of Monday’s big ceremony. The Brazilian hasn’t been nominated for the Golden Ball but has posted a picture of himself holding the famous trophy on Instagram. Paris Saint-Germain star Ousmane Dembele and Barcelona wonderkid Lamine Yamal are the two favourites for the award.

'This is not fake' – Tottenham striker Richarlison claims Ballon d'Or for himself in hilarious social media post'This is not fake' – Tottenham striker Richarlison claims Ballon d'Or for himself in hilarious social media post'This is not fake' – Tottenham striker Richarlison claims Ballon d'Or for himself in hilarious social media post

Ahead of Monday’s Ballon d’Or ceremony, has been enjoying himself on social media. The Brazilian star has posted an image of himself holding the Golden Ball trophy and added the caption “this is not fake” along with a laughing emoji.

The 2025 Ballon d’Or looks set to go to either Dembele or Yamal after both players enjoyed stunning seasons in 2024-25. Dembele was in inspirational form as he fired PSG to four trophies, including a first ever triumph. Meanwhile, Yamal was integral for and ended the campaign with La Liga, Copa del Rey and Spanish titles.

Richarlison made his feelings about the Ballon d’Or particularly clear last year after seeing pip team-mate Vinicius Jr to the prestigious prize. The star raged on Instagram: “All of us who live football eagerly await the individual awards each season. Today, all Brazilians who love football woke up expecting to see another player from our country win an award for the best in the world after so long. Unfortunately, for reasons that no one can understand, the award did not come. And don’t get me wrong, Rodri is a great player who deserves to be among the best. But Vini not winning the Ballon d’Or was embarrassing, and the only one who lost today was football. I remember Vini saying that his dream was to see the whole of Brazil cheering for him. And that day was today! ou are a giant and the best in the world, kid! And no trophy will change that. Keep going and never shut up! We’re together.”

Richarlison may be dreaming of winning the Ballon d’Or, but he may well be brought down to earth on Tuesday when Tottenham face Rovers in the third round of the EFL Cup.