Declan Rice, Vinicius Jr and Other Players Who Don’t Deserve Ballon d’Or Nomination
- The 2025 Ballon d'Or nominees list generated controversy on social media, as the previous years did
- Fans were of the opinion that some players do not deserve to be nominated for this year's award
- Real Madrid star and last year's runner-up Vinicius Jr was one of those fans who queried his nomination
The Ballon d'Or is always controversial, and this year is no exception after the 2025 nominees list for the voting categories was announced on August 7.
Manchester City midfielder Rodri is the current holder of the men's award, but has not been nominated for this year after suffering an ACL injury, which kept him out of last season.
Source: Getty Images
Ousmane Dembele and Lamine Yamal are the top favourites to win the award this year, with the Frenchman having an edge over the Barcelona youngster.
Despite fewer controversies surrounding this year's nominees, fans have raised eyebrows at some players’ inclusion.
Legit.ng looks at the four players fans believe do not deserve the Ballon d'Or nomination.
Players who don't deserve Ballon d'Or nomination
1. Vinicius Jr
The Brazilian playmaker was runner-up to Rodri in the 2024 Ballon d'Or and threw tantrums for not winning despite being the overwhelming favourite until the final week leading up to the award ceremony.
He made a post on X, where he claimed he would do 10x if necessary, and what followed was an underwhelming season, not only personally but for Real Madrid as a team.
2. Jude Bellingham
Bellingham had a fantastic first season at Real Madrid during which he helped the team win La Liga and the UEFA Champions League, thus earning a podium finish in the 2024 Ballon d'Or.
The 2024/25 season was not particularly spectacular for the England international midfielder and Real Madrid generally, and thus his inclusion, like that of his teammate Vinicius Jr, is questionable.
3. Declan Rice
The £105 million Arsenal midfielder had a big moment in the UEFA Champions League, scoring two free kicks in the 3-0 win over Real Madrid in the quarter-final, but a game is not enough to carry a season where Arsenal went trophyless for the sixth consecutive time, as noted by Sky Sports.
Source: Getty Images
Arsenal, despite the poor season of their usual nemesis, Manchester City, found themselves in the top four race in the final weeks of the season, allowing Liverpool to win the title almost unchallenged.
4. Emiliano Martinez
The Argentine goalkeeper is a two-time winner of the Yachine trophy, having won the award in 2023 and 2024 after helping Argentina win the 2022 FIFA World Cup and 2024 Copa America.
However, in the year under review, he has hardly produced any standout moments for club and country, and fans wonder why he earned a nomination in 2025, in which he could become the first goalkeeper to win it three times, as noted by Goal.
Players who deserve Ballon d'Or nomination
Legit.ng analysed the players who deserve Ballon d'Or nomination but were overlooked after France Football announced the nominees on Wednesday.
Five-time winner Cristiano Ronaldo tops the list after he was snubbed despite a brilliant individual season with Al-Nassr and winning the UEFA Nations League with Portugal.
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Source: Legit.ng
