Rodri appreciates that Rafinha deserved to reach the list of 30 candidates for the Ballon d'Or. The Spanish midfielder spoke about this in an interview with El Partidazo de COPE.

" It’s important to realize that there are no middle 30 nominees for the Ballon d’Or,” Rodri said.

The Spaniard also acknowledges the Brazilian's progress and his adaptation to a new role on the field. According to Rodri's words, Rafinha became the biggest surprise for him after moving to Barcelona.

" Previously, he was on the flank, moving to the center and scoring every hour, and now he’s playing as a nine - and I’m just enemies,” Rodri said.

This season, Rafinha has demonstrated high performance: at the time of the interview, the Brazilian had scored 14 goals and provided 3 assists in 8 matches for Barcelona in all tournaments.