getty images

Why Kylian Mbappe & Real Madrid Stars Might Boycott the Ballon d’Or 2025 Ceremony?

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Farah Ben Gamra | Last updated Sep 22, 2025 12:56 PM ET

The Ballon d’Or is regarded as the world’s top individual honour in soccer, uniting soccer’s finest stars each year in Paris, but it’s expected to look different this year.

Real Madrid, who have three nominees, Kylian Mbappé, Jude Bellingham and Vinícius Júnior, is expected to skip the ceremony.

Since last year’s ceremony, there’s been tension with France Football and other practical issues like team schedules and league fixtures, but many wonder why the club wouldn’t attend such a big event.

Why Real Madrid Is Sitting Out the Ballon d'Or Ceremony Again

This boycott goes back to the 2024 edition when Vinicius Júnior was widely viewed as one of the favorites and ultimately finished third in the voting for the Ballon d’Or.

Real Madrid withdrew its delegation in protest at the outcome and the process for deciding the winners of the awards, which led to discussions about mending the relationship with France Football, but it appears to have stalled.

For 2025, president Florentino Pérez said the men’s team won’t be there because of the continued displeasure and to prepare for the upcoming league matches.

Real Madrid’s women’s delegation will be in attendance however, and nominees Caroline Weir and Linda Caicedo are expected to be there.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by SPORTbible (@sportbible)

By not attending the ceremony, Real Madrid is making a statement about how much they value recognition of their players. Even with global superstars nominated, the absence sends a message of the existing tension with the award-giving body.

Whether this makes a difference in the handling of the Ballon d’Or in the future or if this becomes a precedent for Real Madrid, we’ll see.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: