Perhaps due to Real Madrid's love of having star players, the individual award of the Ballon d'Or is very important to the club. They even decided not to show up at the 2024 event after learning that Vinicius Junior was not going to claim the award.
Then last year they blanked the event and published nothing about their players who were nominated. However, this year, Los Blancos have posted about the event on their official pages. They have congratulated their four players who have made the shortlist: Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius, Jude Bellingham, and Marc Cucurella.
Real Madrid Ballon d'Or nominees power rankings:
1. Kylian Mbappe
Mbappe has got to be at the top due to his contribution at the World Cup, where he became the competition's all-time top goalscorer. Mbappe has now scored 22 World Cup goals in just three tournaments. This is one more than Lionel Messi, who has now retired from international football.
If France had gone on to win the Ballon d'Or, then Mbappe would be the standout favourite. However, the fact that France lost in the semi-finals to Spain will count against him. Mbappe also had a great individual season with Real Madrid, scoring 42 goals in 44 games. No silverware with his club will also affect his chances, as the award often goes to a Champions League winner.
2. Jude Bellingham
Jude Bellingham was excellent for England as they claimed third place at the World Cup by defeating Mbappe's France in the playoff match. However, Bellingham's stats for Real Madrid last season were not as good as they have been in previous campaigns.
3. Vinicius Junior
Vinicius was unlucky not to win the Ballon d'Or when Rodri beat him to it two years ago. However, last season he was back to his best, scoring 16 goals with six assists in 36 La Liga games. What may count against Vinicius is that his Brazil side crashed out of the World Cup at the round of 16 to Norway.
4. Marc Cucurella
The Ballon d'Or often goes to a World Cup winner in the year it is held. Cucurella has done this, but the award more often than not goes to an attacking player. Fabio Cannavaro back in 2006 was the last defender to win the Ballon d'Or. Cucurella had a very good season for Chelsea, which led to his move to Real Madrid. However, the Blues as a collective had a poor season, not winning any silverware and finishing 10th in the Premier League.
Add us as a preferred source on Google