Chelsea Star Drops Bombshell Ballon d'Or Prediction: 'Anything Can Happen'

Chelsea's left-back Marc Cucurella has expressed his desire to claim the Ballon d'Or, though he acknowledges it would be "extremely challenging" to achieve this feat.

No defender in the fullback position has ever claimed football's most coveted individual honor, with Roberto Carlos (2002), Andreas Brehme (1990), Paul Breitner (1981) and Ruud Krol (1979) coming nearest with top-three placements.

Among the reported motivations behind Trent Alexander-Arnold's decision to move to Real Madrid this summer was his individual goal to capture the Ballon d'Or and make history.

While Alexander-Arnold isn't included in the 2025 nominations, he may face future rivalry from Cucurella. The dynamic left-back was instrumental in Chelsea's recent successes, just as he was when Spain claimed Euro 2024. If La Roja captures the 2026 World Cup, Cucurella will likely have played a crucial part. Chelsea are also contending for the Premier League crown in 2025–26.

"Well, I'm not sure...everything is possible!" he shared with AS when asked about the Ballon d'Or possibility.

"I would love to, but it would be extremely tough. It would definitely be groundbreaking, and personally, it would be incredible. But it's not simple."

When reminded that Dani Carvajal only managed fourth place in 2024, Cucurella added: "Well, ultimately, people concentrate on the attackers. They switch on the television and want to watch those who find the net...and I'm the first to admit it! I get that voters favor those who provide the most spectacular matches, but a defender [centre-back] has triumphed before, and it might occur again."

Cucurella isn't included in this year's nominees, with the ceremony taking place in Paris on Sep. 22. However, fullback trio Denzel Dumfries, Nuno Mendes and Achraf Hakimi are nominated. Nevertheless, the chances of any of these three claiming victory remain minimal when forwards Ousmane Dembélé, Lamine Yamal, Raphinha and Mohamed Salah are the leading contenders, with Dembélé being the top favorite.