Trent Alexander-Arnold signed for Real Madrid around 17 months ago, but his dream of winning the Ballon d'Or has never felt further away for the ex-Liverpool defender

Harry Kane. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. Michael Olise. Lamine Yamal. Even Lionel Messi. The race for the Ballon d'Or feels fairly open, with the winner to be announced on Monday.

Had Trent Alexander-Arnold had his way, though, the former Liverpool ace would be in contention for the individual prize too. As it stands, however, amid his struggles at Real Madrid, he is further away than ever.

Back in 2024, Alexander-Arnold outlined his desire to be recognized as the best right-back of all time. At Liverpool, he redefined the position for a spell; in Spain, he is yet to lock down a place in the team.

This week, Jose Mourinho dealt Alexander-Arnold and Denzel Dumfries a major blow as he selected midfielder Fede Valverde at full-back ahead of them.

And the experiment went so well that it is almost inconceivable that Alexander-Arnold — who has already warmed the bench for seven games this season — will be in the starting XI against Barcelona on Sunday.

It is true that players who play for Real Madrid and Barcelona tend to have an advantage when it comes to glamor prizes (Kane has benefitted from being in a league far less competitive than the Premier League, too).

For Alexander-Arnold, though, his dream of being named the world's best player is a distant one right now. His immediate focus has to be catching the eye of Mourinho, let alone anyone else.

Two years ago, the then-26-year-old even controversially claimed that he would rather win the Ballon d'Or than the World Cup, only to then be left out of Thomas Tuchel's roster this summer.

"I believe I can (win the Ballon d'Or)," Alexander-Arnold told Sky Sports a few months before his Liverpool departure was confirmed.

"I want to be the first full-back to ever do it. It's only the morning after you retire that you're able to look in the mirror and say, 'I gave it everything I got.'

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"It doesn't matter how many trophies you win, or how many medals you've got. It matters what you give to the game and if you reach your full potential."

The then-Liverpool No. 66 added that when he retires, he wants to go down in history as "someone who changed the game." For now, however, he simply has to focus on correcting the course of his career.

There is still time for Alexander-Arnold to turn things around in Madrid. It would be wrong, as it stands, to term it a complete failure. Seventeen months after signing for Los Blancos, though, it is also true that almost nothing has gone to plan.