Shocking 2025 Ballon d’Or Upsets: Haaland’s Unexpected Fall and Vinícius Jr.’s Stunning Absence from Top 10 Revealed!

Erling Haaland and Vinícius Jr.—names that have dominated headlines and haunted defenders for years—have recently hit a puzzling snag in their glittering careers. Once unstoppable forces tearing through leagues from Germany to England, and dazzling fans in Spain and beyond, their 2024-25 Ballon d’Or journeys have taken an unexpected nosedive. Haaland, after setting the soccer world alight with his goal-scoring frenzy, finds himself languishing at 26th, his lowest Balloon d’Or ranking since his meteoric rise in 2021. Meanwhile, Vinícius Jr., who flirted with the crown last year, astonishingly slips completely out of the Top 10, tumbling to 16th place. This jarring shift—surprising, if not shocking—raises eyebrows, not just because of their sheer talent on the pitch, but due to the dramatic storytelling their rankings now spin. As anticipation builds for the September 22 ceremony in Paris, it’s crystal clear that this season’s tale for these superstars is anything but typical. LEARN MORE .

Erling Haaland has been one of the most prolific strikers in world soccer in recent years, smashing records in Germany, England, and with Norway’s national team, while Vinícius Jr. emerged as a leading contender for last year’s Ballon d’Or. However, the 2024-25 season didn’t go as planned for either star. Haaland has now recorded his lowest finish in the Ballon d’Or since 2021, while the Real Madrid winger has dropped out of the Top 10 entirely.

With the Ballon d’Or ceremony set for September 22 at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris, France Football released the first batch of rankings outside the Top 10. Haaland’s 26th-place finish and Vinícius’ 16th came as a shock, not so much because of their performances, but because of their status as two of the game’s biggest superstars.

Haaland’s placement was particularly surprising given the contrast to his standing in recent years, especially in 2023, when he won the Gerd Müller Award after scoring 52 goals in 57 games for Manchester City and Norway. Now, his 26th-place finish marks the lowest ranking of his Ballon d’Or career since breaking onto the global stage.

Haaland made his first appearance in the 2021 Ballon d’Or list with an 11th place, being at the top half since then:

• 2021 (Borussia Dortmund): 11th place, 33 points.
• 2022 (Borussia Dortmund & Manchester City): 10th place, 18 points.
• 2023 (Manchester City): 2nd place, 357 points.
• 2024 (Manchester City): 5th place, 432 points.

Erling Haaland attends the 67th Ballon D’Or Ceremony at Theatre Du Chatelet on October 30, 2023 in Paris, France.

Vinícius, meanwhile, endured a steep decline compared to last year, when he finished second behind Manchester City’s Rodri. The Brazilian collected 1,129 points in 2024 and was widely seen as the frontrunner, but after struggling to replicate that level, he fell 14 spots to 16th.

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Haaland and Vinícius’ 2024-25 season

The 2024-25 campaign was turbulent for Haaland and Manchester City. Pep Guardiola’s side lifted the Community Shield but failed to add another major trophy, bowing out early in the Carabao Cup, losing the FA Cup final, falling to Real Madrid in the Champions League playoffs, slipping out of the Premier League title race early, and even suffering a shock defeat to Al Hilal in the Club World Cup.

Individually, Haaland’s numbers were strong, with 34 goals and 5 assists in 48 appearances, but a lack of silverware, coupled with injury setbacks that kept him out of key games like the Champions League second leg against Madrid, hurt his standing with voters.

Vinícius’ story was similar. Real Madrid captured the UEFA Super Cup and Intercontinental Cup in the first half of the season, but faltered elsewhere. Despite 22 goals and 19 assists in 58 matches, Los Blancos fell short in La Liga to Barcelona, exited the Champions League in the quarterfinals, and lost in the Club World Cup semifinals, leaving the Brazilian’s campaign with an underwhelming finish.