Cristiano Ronaldo's response when asked who will win the 2025 Ballon d'Or after his snub has got fans talking

Cristiano Ronaldo's response when asked who will win the 2025 Ballon d'Or speaks volumes.

The Al Nassr striker failed to receive a nomination for the award for a second consecutive year.

No player outside of Europe's top five leagues are on the shortlist of 30, meaning both Ronaldo and Lionel Messi missed out.

Ronaldo has won the award five times but has become increasingly critical of it in recent years.

In 2024, he described the Ballon d'Or as having 'no credibility' because Manchester City midfielder Rodri was announced as the winner over Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior.

Now at 40 years of age and having signed a new two-year contract to continue playing in the Saudi Pro League, it appears Ronaldo's best chance of receiving a nomination is to perform well in the 2026 World Cup with Portugal.

Portugal won the 2025 Nations League and three of his international team-mates - Nuno Mendes, Joao Neves and Vitinha - were nominated, though primarily due to their performances for Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain.

In an interview on Friday night, Ronaldo was asked by Sport.tv to give his verdict on who would win the Ballon d'Or this year.

He simply replied: "No, it's fictional to me."

What have others said about the 2025 Ballon d'Or?

Surprisingly, there have been few other reactions from players who have been nominated for the Ballon d'Or award.

It is unlikely that fans will hear anything from Real Madrid nominees Jude Bellingham, Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior, however.

According to Spanish outlet COPE, Real have decided not to mention the Ballon d'Or on any of their official channels.

It is unlikely that any of their trio of players will be in contention for the award, given that Real were knocked out at the quarter-final stage in the Champions League and finished second in La Liga.

Instead, Barcelona's Lamine Yamal and PSG's Ousmane Dembele are among the leading contenders to scoop the award.

There is guaranteed to be another first-time winner this year, with 2024 victor Rodri having missed almost the entirety of the 2024/25 season with an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury.