The Ballon d'Or has highlighted Atlético de Madrid's outstanding performance last season, despite the club not participating in the London gala. The red and white team remained among the four best teams in Europe, but was the only one of the Champions League semi-finalists that did not have any player nominated for the award.
During the campaign, Atlético came close to two important titles. They lost the Copa del Rey Mapfre on penalties and were eliminated in the Champions League semi-finals by Arsenal, with a goal in the second leg in London. Even so, the season is considered a success, as the club was once again among the four best teams in Europe, something that had not happened since the 2016-17 season when they were defeated by Real Madrid.
In the list of 30 nominees for the Ballon d'Or, Atlético was not represented. While PSG had nine players (Dembélé, Achraf, Kvaratskhelia, Marquinhos, Nuno Mendes, João Neves, Pacho, Fabián Ruiz and Vitinha), Bayern Munich had four (Kane, Luis Díaz, Olise and Upamecano) and Arsenal three (Rice, Gabriel and Saliba). The fact that Atlético did not have any nominees is striking, especially since the club had the most players in the last World Cup final, although none made the list of nominees.
In the League, Atlético was far behind Real Madrid and Barcelona, but surpassed both in the Champions League and the Copa del Rey. Real Madrid had three nominees (Lamine Yamal, Cubarsí and Ferrán Torres), while Barcelona had four (Bellingham, Mbappé, Vinicius and Cucurella). Atlético's absence from the gala reflects the difference between performance in the European competition and the individual assessment of its players.
Atlético's next match will be against Bayern Munich at the Metropolitano, where Harry Kane will be one of the main attractions. Before facing the red and white, Bayern will face Magdeburg and Borussia Dortmund. With this appointment, Atlético will have the opportunity to demonstrate its quality on an international stage and perhaps improve its position in the Champions League standings.