Real Madrid's debacle in the 2025 Ballon d'Or: Bellingham and Vinicius KO
Published New:23/09/2025 - 09:53h
Updated New:23/09/2025 - 09:53h
Vinícius Jr. and Jude Bellingham, who were 2nd and 3rd in 2024, sink to 16th and 23rd place, while Mbappé falls to seventh place.
Real Madrid has suffered a historic collapse in the 2025 Ballon d'Or ranking. If in the last edition it managed to place seven players among the 30 best in the world, this year the figure was reduced to only three. A setback that reflects both the loss of individual prominence and the wear and tear of a project that no longer transmits the same authority in Europe.
The gala held at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris has left a devastating balance for the white entity. Vinícius Jr. and Jude Bellingham, second and third in 2024, have fallen to 16th and 23rd place, respectively, while Kylian Mbappé drops from sixth to seventh place. Rüdiger, Valverde or Carvajal did not even manage to pass the cut, and Toni Kroos was already retired.
Vinicius: from favorite in 2024 to disappointment in 2025
The most talked about case is that of Vinícius Jr. A year ago he publicly protested when he learned that the award would go to Rodri, a gesture that did not go unnoticed. Now, the voters have made it clear that they do not forget: the Brazilian plummets fourteen positions to 16th place. His drop in performance at the start of this season has also weighed on the vote.
Bellingham, meanwhile, has paid the price for a failed project. Real Madrid, under the command of Carlo Ancelotti, did not go beyond conquering the European Super Cup, far from the expectation of the
