- Real Madrid offensive asset Kylian Mbappe occupies a surprising position on the forecasted Ballon d’Or rankings
- Rising star Lamine Yamal and seasoned pro Ousmane Dembele emerge as frontrunners for the 2025 Ballon d’Or
- Nine Paris Saint-Germain players have been included in the 30-man Ballon d’Or shortlist announced on August 7
Paris Saint-Germain’s Ousmane Dembélé and Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal are now front-runners for the Golden Ball after spectacular campaigns.
With Manchester City’s Rodri sidelined for the remainder of the season, last year’s winner won’t be able to defend his title.
Source: Getty Images
Just when it seemed the Ballon d’Or had lost its magic without Messi and Ronaldo trading blows, last year delivered fireworks. Rodri snatched the crown from under Vinícius Júnior’s nose in one of the tightest races the award has seen.
Cristiano Ronaldo waded into the debate, declaring Vinícius the rightful winner. The fallout was immediate and explosiv as Real Madrid, outraged, refused to send any representatives to the glittering Paris gala.
Who will win the 2025 Ballon d’Or?
According to Score90, Paris Saint-Germain’s French forward Ousmane Dembélé tops the 2025 Ballon d’Or projected final rankings, making him the current favorite for the prestigious award.
Next to Dembele on the forecasted standings is Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal, a serious prize contender, who helped his team to a domestic treble: the La Liga, Copa del Rey, and the Spanish Super Cup. According to Transfermarkt, the 18-year-old scored 18 goals and made 25 assists in 55 appearances in all competitions.
Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappe surprisingly completes the podium after racking up 44 goals in all events for Los Blancos in his debut season after joining from Paris Saint-Germain as a free agent.
Check out the projected final Ballon d’Or 2025 rankings according to Score90.
1. Ousmane Dembele – Paris Saint-Germain
2. Lamine Yamal – FC Barcelona
3. Kylian Mbappe – Real Madrid
4. Pedri – FC Barcelona
5. Mohamed Salah – Liverpool
Which player made Ballon d’Or 2025 nomination list?
According to UEFA, this year’s nominees represent a truly global spread, featuring players from Europe, South America, Africa, and beyond.
From prolific goalscorers to creative masterminds and defensive stalwarts, here are the 2025 Ballon d’Or nominees (30 players).
Jude Bellingham (England, Real Madrid)
Ousmane Dembélé (France, Paris Saint-Germain)
Gianluigi Donnarumma (Italy, Paris Saint-Germain)
Désiré Doué (France, Paris Saint-Germain)
Denzel Dumfries (Netherlands, Inter)
Serhou Guirassy (Guinea, Borussia Dortmund)
Viktor Gyokeres (Sweden, Sporting CP/Arsenal)
Erling Haaland (Norway, Manchester City)
Achraf Hakimi (Morocco, Paris Saint-Germain)
Harry Kane (England, Bayern)
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (Georgia, Napoli/Paris Saint-Germain)
Robert Lewandowski (Poland, Barcelona)
Alexis Mac Allister (Argentina, Liverpool)
Lautaro Martínez (Argentina, Inter)
Kylian Mbappé (France, Real Madrid)
Scott McTominay (Scotland, Napoli)
Nuno Mendes (Portugal, Paris Saint-Germain)
João Neves (Portugal, Paris Saint-Germain)
Michael Olise (France, Bayern)
Cole Palmer (England, Chelsea)
Pedri (Spain, Barcelona)
Raphinha (Brazil, Barcelona)
Declan Rice (England, Arsenal)
Fabián Ruiz (Spain, Paris Saint-Germain)
Mohamed Salah (Egypt, Liverpool)
Virgil van Dijk (Netherlands, Liverpool)
Vinícius Júnior (Brazil, Real Madrid)
Vitinha (Portugal, Paris Saint-Germain)
Florian Wirtz (Germany, Leverkusen/Liverpool)
Lamine Yamal (Spain, Barcelona)
Dembele leads Ballon d’Or rankings
YEN.com.gh earlier covered the latest Ballon d’Or rankings as featured by GiveMeSport, with PSG’s Ousmane Dembele ahead of Lamine Yamal.
The two players are widely seen as the top two contenders for this year’s prestigious accolade following their brilliant performances last season.
Source: YEN.com.gh
