Seven emojis, zero words! Deco reacts to Raphinha's shock Ballon d'Or omission
Deco did not need a single word to make his reaction clear.
Details: Barcelona director of football Deco reacted to a Fabrizio Romano Instagram post about Raphinha being omitted from the 30 nominees for the 2026 Men's Ballon d'Or. From his verified account, the former midfielder responded with seven laughing-with-tears emojis and did not add a single word.
Raphinha's absence has now been confirmed by the official 30-player shortlist. The Brazilian is not among the candidates for the 2026 award despite finishing fifth in the Ballon d'Or voting in 2025.
Deco's reaction carries extra weight because he is not an outside observer. Barcelona's official football structure lists the former Portugal international as the club's director of football, making him one of the key figures responsible for the sporting side of the Catalan giants.
It is worth noting that Raphinha has made a flying start to the 2026/27 season. The Barcelona forward has scored six goals in the club's opening four La Liga matches, becoming only the eighth player in Barça history to reach at least six goals across the first four league games of a campaign.
Reminder: History at 19! Yamal becomes a Ballon d'Or record-breaker
Steven Perez
Dailysports's expert
