Raphinha is now the favourite to claim the Ballon d'Or as Barcelona continue their push for the treble. The Catalans are all but into the Champions League semi-finals with their Brazilian winger enjoying the best season of his career to date. The ex-Leeds man is excelling in Catalunya and could be about to land the game's ultimate individual honour if he continues in his current vein. Raphinha opened the scoring against Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday night and has remained consistent whilst his closest rivals fall away. He proved to be a massive hit at Elland Road before his lucrative move to Spain and, despite not necessarily hitting the ground running, Hansi Flick's attacking system is finally getting the best out of the 28-year-old winger. For more than a decade now the Ballon d'Or has often lent itself to the player whose team claim the major honours. Generally that is the Champions League, but equally success on the international stage has seen the likes of Lionel Messi and Rodri triumph. With no international tournament this summer the Champions League could prove defining when it comes to handing out the Golden Ball this winter. Raphinha is therefore primed with the Catalans among the favourites whilst their winger is leading the goalscoring race. The player himself has played down talk of landing the Ballon d'Or and insists putting the team's success first will see individual honours naturally come his way. “My head is not thinking about the Ballon d’Or," he said. "I want to win everything I can for Barcelona, that’s the most important thing for me. The goal I have is to win titles, and with titles, individual titles will come." Barcelona's No 11 has scored in all three of their knockout games thus far. He also netted as the Spanish side hammered Bayern Munich and was on hand for a clutch moment against Benfica in the league phase, when he scored the winner in a nine-goal thriller in stoppage time. Domestically he's stepped up, scoring as Real Madrid were humiliated at the Bernabeu several months ago. Combined he's now sitting on 28 goals for the season, by far and away the highest total of his career, as he looks to add a second La Liga and a first Champions League. His individual moments of brilliance see him ahead of Robert Lewandowski with the bookies. The Pole was controversially denied the Ballon d'Or in 2020 during the Covid-hit season but has continued to be prolific and leads Barcelona's goalscoring charts. Whilst Barcelona look relentless, others don't. Real Madrid's Champions League hopes hang by a thread whilst they trail Barcelona in La Liga. They boycotted the Ballon d'Or ceremony last year when it became apparent Vinicius Jnr was not going to win - a move that was widely criticised. The signing of Kylian Mbappe saw them tipped to retain their European crown, but losing 3-0 at Arsenal could end their dream in the last eight with a trophyless season a genuine possibility. That would all but rule out the Frenchman, who is still chasing the award for the first time. As is Mohamed Salah , who hasn't even finished in the top three. The Egyptian was relentless in and around the turn of the year as Liverpool established themselves as Premier League favourites. In more recent months though the goals have dried up and the Reds saw their treble dream ended which has halted Salah's challenge - and that is reflected with the bookies' odds. If Raphinha is worried about the competition then he should keep an eye on PSG frontman Ousmane Demebele, who is finally delivering on his potential. PSG-Barcelona is tipped to be the Champions League final with the Frenchman looking to become the first player from his country since Zinedine Zidane to win the award - and his odds continue to shorten. It could leave all eyes potentially on Munich in late May where a Barcelona victory may land Raphinha the Ballon d'Or, but a PSG victory could see Dembele steal the show. As things stand though the Brazilian is on course to emulate the likes of Ronaldo, Kaka and Ronaldinho. Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.