Asians missed the Golden Ball candidate for two consecutive years, and the highest ranking of Asian history is still Son Heung-min

The 30-player shortlist for the 2025 Golden Globe Awards has been officially announced. It is worth mentioning that Asian players are missing from the 30-player list.

This is the 30-player shortlist for Asians who missed the Golden Globe Awards for two consecutive years. The last Asian player nominated was South Korean defender Kim Min-jae. He was selected for the 30-player shortlist in 2023. This is the only time that an Asian defender has been selected for the 30-player list so far. Kim Min-jae finally ranked 22nd in the Golden Globes that year.

In addition, Son Heung-min ranked 11th in the Golden Globes in 2022, and is still the highest ranking ever for Asian players.