Cole Palmer might not have won at the Ballon d'Or, finishing eighth as Ousmane Dembele picked up the award, but the Chelsea superstar did manage to create some history on the night. And in the process, he achived something that was last done by Neymar, when he was coming through the ranks at Santos.
Palmer had a brilliant start to the 24/25 season but then seemed to fade away in the second half of the campaign. But now that we know about his long-existent groin issue, one has to wonder if that was the reason behind his drop in form.
He did come alive towards the end of the campaign though. He was instrumental in the Conference League final, providing two brilliant assists to put Chelsea ahead from a goal down against Real Betis. Then he put in an all-time performance in the Club World Cup, scoring a brace and providing an assist in the final against a scary Paris Saint-Germain side.
As a result, Palmer has become the first player since Neymar to finish in the top 10 of the Ballon d'Or rankings without playing Champions League football. The Brazilian achieved the feat back in 2011.
Cole Palmer makes history at Ballon d'Or, matches Neymar
Of course, many would point towards Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez in 2016. But it is important to remember that the Ballon d'Or was based on achievements over the year back then, instead of a season. So, those two had played Champions League group stage football in the 16/17 campaign.
For Palmer, it is now about taking the next step. He does seem to be ready to do that, scoring against Bayern Munich away at the Allianz Arena in the first Champions League outing of the season.
But will Chelsea be able to put the right team around him to succeed? Or will they continue to sign youngsters only and perennially remain stuck in a 'process' rather than becoming one of the best teams in the world?
One cannot overlook Palmer's fitness issues either. He has been dealing with this groin issue for a while and it is important to let him recover fully rather than try to rush him back into action, and then having to spend time on the sidelines again after a few games.