Rodri's season-ending injury means he won't be defending the trophy he won in 2024 - so who are the main contenders to succeed the Spaniard?
If you thought the days of the Ballon d'Or generating headlines were over after Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo's era of dominance came to an end, then think again. After one of the most closely-fought races for a number of years, Rodri came out on top in 2024, beating Vinicius Jr into second place as Real Madrid dramatically boycotted the ceremony in Paris in protest at their star player missing out.
Unfortunately for Rodri, he has been unable to defend his crown in 2025, with the Manchester City midfielder having suffered a serious knee injury in September. The door, then, has been opened for a whole host of players to succeed the Spain star, and the battle for the Golden Ball proved to be real rollercoaster over the course of the European campaign and subsequent Club World Cup.
The 2024-25 season didn't have the same international tournaments as its two predecessors, and so the destination of the Ballon d'Or will be decided almost solely by club performances. That opened it up to all sorts of individuals who might not share the same success with their countries as others.
So, as the 2025 Ballon d'Or nominations are set to be announced on Thursday, August 7, who are the favourites for the most prestigious individual prize in world football? As always, GOAL has been there every step of the way to track the contenders and the pretenders with our Ballon d'Or Power Rankings - here's our final top 20: