Cristiano Ronaldo Speaks Out After 2025 Ballon d'Or Exclusion
- Cristiano Ronaldo has shared a message on social media after being left off the shortlist for the 2025 Men’s Ballon d’Or award
- The 30-man shortlist for the 2025 Ballon d’Or has been unveiled, featuring some of the biggest names in world football
- The 2025 Ballon d'Or winner will be unveiled on September 22, 2025, during a highly anticipated gala ceremony
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Cristiano Ronaldo has spoken out after being snubbed from the 2025 Men’s Ballon d’Or nominees list.
For the second year running, neither he nor long-time rival Lionel Messi made the cut.
This year’s frontrunners include PSG’s Ousmane Dembele and Barcelona wonderkid Lamine Yamal.
Source: Getty Images
Despite netting 33 goals across all domestic competitions last season and lifting the Nations League trophy with Portugal, the 40-year-old icon will once again miss next month’s ceremony in Paris.
His omission comes after years of public discontent with the award. In 2021, he appeared to criticise Messi’s win over him, and in 2024, he dismissed the Ballon d’Or as having “no credibility” when Rodri beat Vinicius Junior to the prize.
Ronaldo reacts after Ballon d'Or snub
It’s little surprise, then, that his reaction was far more measured than in previous years.
Just hours after the nominees were revealed, he posted a seemingly pointed six-word message on Instagram.
Sharing a photo of himself celebrating a goal for Al Nassr, Ronaldo wrote:
"Keep pushing, there's more to do."
2025 Ballon d'Or nominees announced
The 30-man shortlist for the 2025 Ballon d’Or has been unveiled, featuring some of the biggest names in world football vying for the game’s most prestigious individual honour.
The 69th edition of the France Football award will be held at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris on September 22, where the men’s winner will be announced alongside other honours, including the Ballon d’Or Féminin, Kopa Trophy, Yashin Trophy, and Gerd Müller Trophy.
Source: Getty Images
For only the fourth time in history, the nominees were selected based on seasonal performances rather than the calendar year, covering the period from August 1, 2024, to July 31, 2025 - a span that also includes Chelsea’s Club World Cup triumph in the United States.
Can Ousmane Dembélé win the Ballon d'Or?
Dembele's case for the Ballon d'Or is undeniably strong. The Paris Saint-Germain winger was central to PSG’s historic treble-winning campaign in 2024–25, helping the club lift the Ligue 1 title, Coupe de France, and most notably, the UEFA Champions League.
According to Transfermarkt, Ousmane Dembele scored 35 goals and made 16 assists across all competitions.
His performances in the Champions League knockout rounds, especially his double against Bayern Munich and game-winning assist in the final, have defined his career renaissance in Paris.
Though PSG narrowly missed a clean sweep after losing the FIFA Club World Cup final to Chelsea, Dembélé's domestic and continental success keeps him front and centre in the Ballon d'Or race.
Paul Pogba backs Dembele to win Ballon d'Or 2025
During his Twitch session, Pogba didn’t mince words about who should win the Ballon d'Or.
As quoted by GOAL, the AS Monaco player believes Dembélé will always be ahead of Yamal when it comes to this year's award.
Pogba explains that he supports Dembélé to win the Ballon d'Or because he won the Champions League and was a very important player last season.
The World Cup winner emphasised that if the Paris Saint-Germain forward doesn't win the prestigious accolade this year, he'll never get it.
Pogba also acknowledged the contributions of other PSG stars like Achraf Hakimi and Vitinha, but made it clear that Dembélé was the standout.
Ballon d'Or Power Rankings
YEN.com.gh earlier reported on the latest Ballon d'Or Power Rankings following Liverpool's elimination from the Champions League.
In the latest update, Mohamed Salah dropped in the standings, while Dembele and Yamal climbed the rankings.
Source: YEN.com.gh
