The Ballon d'Or ceremony is widely regarded as football's most prestigious individual awards night, where the world's top players, coaches, and clubs are celebrated for their performances each year.
It stands as a shining moment on the global football calendar, attracting millions of viewers who eagerly await the crowning of the sport's best talents. The 2025 edition of the Ballon d'Or ceremony will take place on Monday (September 22) in Paris.
However, this year, as with the last, Real Madrid will be notably absent from the grand event held at the The";tre du Ch";telet in Paris. The Spanish giants remain steadfast in their boycott, a decision rooted in last year's controversial fallout when their star forward VinÍcius Júnior, heavily favored
to win the coveted Ballon d'Or, was ultimately overlooked in favor of Manchester City's Rodri. Real Madrid's last-minute pullout from the ceremony in 2024 shocked the football world and ignited a rift between the club and the Ballon d'Or organizers that has only deepened since.
For 2025, Real Madrid has confirmed it will once again not send an official delegation to the ceremony, continuing its protest against what it perceives as an ongoing injustice toward their players-especially VinÍcius Júnior-and a lack of respect shown by the award's officials and UEFA.
While the club's nominated players, including Kylian Mbappe, Jude Bellingham, and VinÍcius himself, are free to attend in a personal capacity, they are expected to skip the event due to an imminent La Liga fixture against Levante. The club's president Florentino Perez, together with senior officials like Emilio ButragueÑo, will remain in Madrid.
