The key factor which Toni Kroos believes robbed him of career-ending mic-drop Ballon d’Or

Real Madrid look as if they will have another Ballon d’Or winner amongst their ranks, with Vinicius Junior set to collect the award from France Football on Monday evening in Paris. However the Brazilian is not the only candidate from the Santiago Bernabeu, with both Jude Bellingham and Toni Kroos nominated.

At one point, it looked as if Kroos might walk out of the game in fairytale fashion, having ended his club career with a Champions League and La Liga double for Real Madrid, but an extra-time loss to Spain at Euro 2024 left a bitter taste in his final ever game. As per Relevo, Kroos has commented privately that he believes that game stopped him from winning the Ballon d’Or award.

Kroos has manifested his frustration at the lack of a penalty given for Marc Cucurella’s handball, which UEFA have since recognised as an error. His opinion is that had they gone through courtesy of that potential penalty, he would have had a good chance of winning the Ballon d’Or, and of winning the Euros.

As it is, the 34-year-old looks unlikely to win the award, despite more than meriting it for his season at Real Madrid. His impact looks all the more evident now, with Real Madrid struggling to put together a solid 90 minutes without him. Clearly, his exit is not the only reason, but it only serves to highlight just how important he was.