Vinicius Junior, Jude Bellingham Suffer Massive Drops in Ballon d’Or Rankings

Vinícius Júnior and Jude Bellingham learned where they finished among the 30 players shortlisted for the 2025 Ballon d’Or, and the result is a drastic change from their placings just one year ago.

Bellingham was the first to receive his new ranking, coming in at 23rd place in the 2025 Ballon d’Or voting. Vinícius Júnior was not far behind with an 16th place finish.

Both rankings are a far cry from the two superstars’ placings in 2024, when Bellingham finished third and Vinícius Júnior was crowned the runner-up. The England international dropped 20 places while his teammate plummeted 14 places.

The massive dive comes after Real Madrid’s poor 2024–25 season. Los Blancos did not win a major trophy in Carlo Ancelotti’s final campaign in charge, finishing second in La Liga, the Copa del Rey and the Spanish Super Cup. The Spanish giants also exited the Champions League in the quarterfinals.

Bellingham failed to replicate his tremendous production from the year prior amid Real Madrid’s struggles. The midfielder went from 36 goal contributions in 2023–24 to 27 last season despite making 10 more appearances.

Vinícius Júnior’s form also took a dip; the winger only scored 11 league goals in the aftermath of what many considered a snub for the 2024 Ballon d’Or. The Brazil international still managed to record 36 goal contributions across all competitions, but none were impactful enough to lead his side to silverware.

Both Bellingham and Vinícius Júnior will hope to bounce back from their underwhelming campaigns last season to help Real Madrid reclaim their Spanish and European crowns under new boss Xabi Alonso.