Trent Alexander-Arnold's Ballon d'Or dream takes hit as Real Madrid make decision on award
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Trent Alexander-Arnold was quite vocal about his thoughts on the Ballon d'Or award in the months leading up to his departure from Liverpool for Real Madrid.
However, for the second consecutive year, Los Blancos are distancing themselves from the esteemed individual accolade.
The ceremony to honour the best male and female footballers over the past year will be held in Paris on Monday night.
This offended the La Liga club, who subsequently cancelled their attendance, and it appears a boycott will continue for the second year running.
Alexander-Arnold may not have received a nomination for his performances during his final season at Liverpool, where he helped secure the Premier League title as the vice-captain of his childhood club
Trent Alexander-Arnold has never been shy about his desire to win the Ballon d'Or
With his final year at Anfield drawing to a close, the 26 year old raised eyebrows when he confessed he'd choose the Ballon d'Or over a second Champions League triumph with Liverpool, captaining the Reds, or claiming silverware with England.
"I just want that legacy of being recognised as the best right-back to ever play football, if I am honest," he explained to Sky Sports.
"I know there have been many (great right-backs) out there but, you know, I've got reach for the stars."
Only one Liverpool player has previously claimed the Ballon d'Or, whilst seven different individuals have secured the prize a combined 11 times whilst representing Los Blancos throughout their history.
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The Spanish giants take immense pride in their Galacticos being crowned the world's finest footballer, which explains why Vinicius' second-place finish in 2024 was felt so deeply.
Alexander-Arnold now finds himself in an incredibly delicate position with a club that has distanced itself from the honour he craves most, at least temporarily, whilst his potential new employers harbour no such reservations.
Furthermore, his prospects of featuring on the 2026 shortlist suffered a blow last week when he was ruled out with a fresh injury - one that threatens a return to Anfield as a Champions League adversary in early November.