Lionel Messi and Ronaldo were on level terms when the latter won the Ballon d'Or in 2017. However, the Argentine superstar has now gone ahead and won the award three more times. Messi, who won the FIFA World Cup with Argentina in 2022, now dominates the long-running GOAT debate between the two.

The nominees for the 2025 Ballon d'Or were recently announced by France Football magazine. After missing the final list, Cristiano Ronaldo did not hesitate to criticize the awards strongly. The 2025 Ballon d’Or is proving to be a controversial topic,

Speaking after scoring a hat-trick in Al-Nassr's 4-0 pre-season victory over Rio Ave, Ronaldo was asked by one reporter who he thought would win the 2025 golden ball. Instead of naming a player, Ronaldo instead claimed that the award was 'fictional' before walking away from the mixed zone.