Former Liverpool defender Trent Alexander-Arnold's hopes of winning a Ballon d'Or proved to be a pipe dream, as evidenced by his exclusion from the England World Cup team
16:51, 23 May 2026
Trent Alexander-Arnold
Trent Alexander-Arnold failed to hit 2000 minutes with Real Madrid this year(Image: Getty Images)
Trent Alexander-Arnold's debut campaign for Real Madrid went far from his likely initial plan when he made the shocking decision to leave Liverpool, his boyhood club, last summer for a nominal fee.
Speaking in a Sky Sports 'Stickerbook' interview last spring, the right-back revealed that his "No. 1 career goal is to win the Ballon d'Or" over becoming Liverpool captain.
Alexander-Arnold finished the 2025/26 campaign with under 2000 minutes played, without a goal, without a trophy, and without a spot in the England World Cup team. The former Ballon d'Or contender is unlikely to even be invited to the famous Paris ceremony this year.
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Alexander-Arnold started 22 games for Los Blancos across La Liga and the Champions League (30 games total), registering five assists in 1,798 minutes.
For much of the fall, he was a rotation option at right-back with 34-year-old Dani Carvajal. An Alexander-Arnold injury opened the door to midfielder Federico Valverde getting minutes at right-back, and the Uruguayan was sometimes preferred to the Englishman even when both were fit.
Trent Alexander-Arnold
Trent Alexander-Arnold was arguably the best RB in the world while at Liverpool(Image: Getty Images)
During the 2021/22 season with Liverpool, a year where the Reds came ever-so-close to winning the quadruple, Alexander-Arnold played 4,233 minutes and registered 20 goal involvements. He was arguably Liverpool's best player (in contention with Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane, Virgil van Dijk, and Thiago Alcantara).
So why did he move to Madrid? Speaking with GQ Spain last summer, the English right-back laid out his career ambitions. “It was one of the hardest decisions of my life. Liverpool is my home; it made me who I am. But Madrid felt like the right step, at the right time,” he said. .
Trent Alexander-Arnold
Trent Alexander-Arnold started for England at the 2018 World Cup as a 19-year-old(Image: Getty Images)
“It was ambition and a personal desire for change. To challenge myself in a new environment. Of course, Real Madrid’s legacy is undeniable. But more than that, what attracted me was my ambition and the desire to test myself in new surroundings.
“It’s a challenge, but one I welcome. Playing at the Bernabeu is sacred. You can feel the weight of the shirt, but that’s what drives you to give it your all.”
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Now, Alexander-Arnold is also out of the England squad in favor of fullback Tino Livramento and Reece James (Kyle Walker retired). Coach Thomas Tuechel also left him out of the March camp.
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"We had a call. I tried to explain the situation, but Trent just had to accept it," Tuechel said in March.
"I know that it creates noise when you leave a player like Trent out. It’s a sportive choice and a difficult choice. Maybe it’s unfair to a certain degree, but these choices have to be made."