After a spell of dominance by Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, the 2025 Ballon d’Or will crown a first-time winner for the second consecutive year in nearly two decades. The 30 players nominated for the 2025 Men’s Ballon d’Or award were officially announced ahead of this year’s ceremony,

Speaking after scoring a hat-trick in Al-Nassr's 4-0 pre-season victory over Rio Ave, Ronaldo was asked by one reporter who he thought would win the 2025 golden ball. Instead of naming a player, Ronaldo instead claimed that the award was 'fictional' before walking away from the mixed zone.