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 will be unable to defend his crown in 2025, with the Manchester City midfielder having suffered a serious knee injury in September. The door, then, ha been open for a whole host of players to succeed the Spain star, and the race for the Golden Ball provided a real rollercoaster over the course of the European campaign.
The 2024-25 season doesn't have the same international tournaments as its two predecessors, and so the destination of the Ballon d'Or will be decided 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, while there is also the prospect of the new-look Club World Cup to consider before we crown a winner on September 22 in Paris.
So, who are the favourites for the most prestigious individual prize in world football? As always, GOAL has been here every step of the way to track the contenders and the pretenders with our Ballon d'Or Power Rankings...
Previous update: June 1.