Honestly, I’ve seen people arguing about this all year! The Club World Cup does matter for the ballon d'or 2025 ranking, but I think people hype it way too much. Like, for PSG guys like Dembele, Mendes, and Vitinha, yeah, it’s a way to pile up more trophies and goals, which helps their chances a ton. The voters seem to love whoever wins the most big stuff, so it can give someone the edge last minute.

But at the same time, players like Yamal or Salah aren’t even in the tournament (cause Barca and Liverpool didn’t qualify), and they’re still being talked about as potential winners! I mean, if you’ve had a sick season in Europe already, missing the Club World Cup might not totally kill your Ballon d'Or dreams. I remember people saying the same thing about the Nations League last year. Bottom line, it helps a lot if you’re in it, but I don’t think it’s the only thing people care about. A great season is a great season, Club World Cup or not.