The Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo duopoly over the Ballon d’Or appears to have come to an end, as Manchester City midfielder Rodri (in 2024) was crowned the winner ahead of Real Madrid duo Vinicius Jr and Jude Bellingham. The midfielder was instrumental in success for both club and country, and with Messi and Ronaldo now plying their trade away from Europe, it appears as though Rodri’s victory is the official marking of a new era.

While the City and Spain metronomic midfielder was a well-deserving recipient, the ACL injury he suffered in the early part of the 2024/25 campaign means it’s virtually impossible that the 28-year-old will be able to successfully defend his crown. This means, barring a miraculous recovery and some incredible performances, 2025 is set to bring a new champion to the table.

In the past, the prestigious individual accolade was based on the performance of footballers across a calendar year. However, this time around – for the third time in the award’s history – the votes are based on the results of the season. With that in mind, we’ve listed – and ranked – 20 potential nominees for the 2025 Ballon d’Or based on how they’ve performed ahead of this October’s gala.

Ranking factors

We’ve determined the order based on the following:

Goals scored
Assists
Clean sheets (if defensive-minded)
Trophies won/challenged for (expected to)
Big moments in the 2024/25 season
General form

Ballon d’Or Power Rankings

Rank
Player
Club
Country
Position

1.
Ousmane Dembele
Paris Saint-Germain
France
Forward

2.
Lamine Yamal
Barcelona
Spain
Forward

3.
Vitinha
Paris Saint-Germain
Portugal
Midfielder

4.
Raphinha
Barcelona
Brazil
Forward

5.
Mohamed Salah
Liverpool
Egypt
Forward

6.
Desire Doue
Paris Saint-Germain
France
Forward

7.
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia
Paris Saint-Germain
Georgia
Forward

8.
Kylian Mbappe
Real Madrid
France
Forward

9.
Pedri
Barcelona
Spain
Midfielder

10.
Nuno Mendes
Paris Saint-Germain
Portugal
Defender

11.
Lautaro Martinez
Inter Milan
Argentina
Forward

12.
Achraf Hakimi
Paris Saint-Germain
Morocco
Defender

13.
Gianluigi Donnarumma
Paris Saint-Germain
Italy
Goalkeeper

14.
Harry Kane
Bayern Munich
England
Forward

15.
Robert Lewandowski
Barcelona
Poland
Forward

16.
Vinicius Jr
Real Madrid
Brazil
Forward

17.
Cristiano Ronaldo
Al-Nassr
Portugal
Forward

18.
Virgil van Dijk
Liverpool
Netherlands
Defender

19.
Scott McTominay
Napoli
Scotland
Midfielder

20.
Alessandro Bastoni
Inter Milan
Italy
Defender

10Nuno Mendes

Paris Saint-Germain & Portugal

After winning the Champions League with Paris Saint-Germain, followed by the UEFA Nations League with Portugal, in the space of eight remarkable days, Nuno Mendes has suddenly catapulted himself into contention for the Ballon d’Or. Is there a better left-back in world football right now? The 22-year-old was outstanding throughout the 2024-25 campaign, culminating in a masterclass during Portugal’s Nations League triumph over Spain.

Every defender has struggled to contain Lamine Yamal this season, but Mendes showed how it’s done at the Allianz Arena. “It was a clash [with Yamal] like many others I have had during the season,” Mendes told reporters, per the Daily Post. “I have faced up to many great players, very technically skilled players who can make a difference, but today I cancelled out Lamine and [did] not let him do what he does best. This helped the team and I’m happy I helped the team to win this trophy.”

Nuno Mendes for PSG in 2024/25

Games
46

Goals
6

Assists
6

9Pedri

Barcelona & Spain

Whether you see him as the best midfielder on the planet, the modern-day blend of Xavi and Andres Iniesta, or simply just believe he’s worthy of football’s highest individual honours, there isn’t a positive word, phrase, or sentence that would feel like an overstatement when it comes to Pedri, who is one of best La Masia products in recent years.

He may not be the one grabbing the headlines with goals and assists, but he’s the one turning the cogs – the quiet engine that keeps Hansi Flick’s winning machine purring along smoothly. His manager claims he’s incomparable to the rest of football’s middle men, and after dominating Real Madrid’s midfield in the Copa del Rey final, he can’t be too far wrong. The 2021 Golden Boy’s meteoric rise should see him in and around the Ballon d’Or conversations – evidence that it’s not just the goalscorers that are voted for these days

 

Pedri for Barcelona in 2024/25

Games
59

Goals
6

Assists
8

8Kylian Mbappe

Real Madrid & France

It feels like an inevitability that at some point in his career, Kylian Mbappe will stand on top of the podium lifting the famous golden ball. The French forward has been touted as a future successor to Messi and Ronaldo – but now in his mid-20s, he’s edging closer to cementing his status as the world’s best footballer. At Real Madrid, despite the fact they claim to feel disrespected by France Football, he has a stronger chance of winning the Ballon d’Or than he did previously at Paris Saint-Germain.

The main issue now is that he is not the only superstar in the Spanish capital looking to win the award – and with La Liga having slipped away and the Champions League off the table, his chances have taken a big hit in recent weeks (despite a Clasico hat-trick). Even so, his form shows he has every quiver in his bow needed to be the main man at the Bernabeu for many years to come. He already looks more settled in the centre-forward position than he did before the turn of the year – thus proving adaptability isn’t a problem for the 2018 World Cup winner. He also secured the European Golden Shoe award.

 

Kylian Mbappe for Real Madrid in 2024/25

Games
56

Goals
43

Assists
5

7Kvhicha Kvaratskhelia

Paris Saint-Germain & Georgia

A show of their intent and desire to win the biggest honours on offer, PSG went into the January transfer window with a name in mind: Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. The Georgian winger was relentless on the Napoli flank and was touted by sides across Europe – but it was an ambitious PSG side who secured his services and they’ve not looked back since with him becoming all-crucial to the way they penetrate behind enemy lines.

Not only is he absolutely rapid, but what he can do with the ball at such speed is what separates him from the rest. Want a winger that can take it on either foot and beat, perhaps, every defender on the planet in a foot race? Look no further than Kvaratskhelia, who was once linked with a move to Premier League outfit, Arsenal. The Premier League side could’ve done with someone of his talent and unpredictability.

Kvicha Kvaratskhelia for PSG in 2024/25

Games
25

Goals
7

Assists
6

6Desire Doue

Paris Saint-Germain & France

“Desire Doue, take a bow!” is a commentary line that will become commonplace over the next couple of decades. If there were any doubts over his otherworldly talent (let’s be honest; there shouldn’t have been!), his performance in the Champions League final was a sight to behold. He notched two goals and an assist before being taken off – he was a constant terror, but that certainly wasn’t new.

Throughout the entire season, when his Ligue 1 employers were also named the French champions, he was a threat. From scoring a boatload of goals to leaving defenders in the dust, Luis Enrique knew that he could always rely on the young brilliance of Doue, who caught the attention of the world and PSG chiefs during his spell at Rennes. A supreme talent and one that is poised to improve tenfold.

Desire Doue for PSG in 2024/25

Games
53

Goals
13

Assists
15

5Mohamed Salah

Liverpool & Egypt

A total of 56 goal contributions in 51 games across all competitions is, quite simply, a remarkable return that typifies Mohamed Salah’s impact at Liverpool ever since he made the move to Anfield. Despite the fact he is approaching the latter stages of his career, and that he is having to work with a new manager for the first time since arriving on Merseyside, the Egyptian King remains one of the Premier League’s very best players.

In fact, he seems to be getting even better with age. History has shown that statistical data is becoming all the more important when dictating who wins individual awards. As a result, Salah is certainly a strong contender for the 2025 Ballon d’Or award – especially since Liverpool reigned victorious in the Premier League at Slot’s first time of asking. That said, the Reds’ premature exit from the Champions League does dampen the seasoned winger’s chances, and so too will his lapse in form in the concluding stages of 2024/25.

Mohamed Salah for Liverpool in 2024/25

Games
52

Goals
34

Assists
23

4Raphinha

Barcelona & Brazil

Formerly the poster boy of Marcelo Bielsa’s Leeds United, Raphinha has silenced the critics with his combination of firepower and trickery, becoming all too much for defenders in the Spanish top tier and, additionally, at Europe’s top table as Hansi Flick and Co. troubled every opposition defence. Eyebrows were certainly raised when Barcelona, one of the biggest teams in the world, forked out for the Brazilian.

But it has been Flick and his entourage who have enjoyed the last laugh with Raphinha, 28, hitting incredible numbers throughout the entirety of 2024/25 (34 goals and 25 assists in 57 outings). His hopes won’t be helped by the fact that the Champions League trophy didn’t come to the Costa Brava this campaign, but a recent double against Madrid as Barca helped the club to the league title and reminded everyone of his credentials – even if he thinks six others are more likely to pip him to the prize.

Raphinha for Barcelona in 2024/25

Games
57

Goals
34

Assists
25

3Vitinha

Paris Saint-Germain & Portugal

He’s somewhat gone under the radar for the majority of the season, but Vitinha has been the string-puller in PSG’s Champions League-winning side and is finally getting his flowers. The goalscoring exploits of the team aside, their success wouldn’t be as fruitful without the Portuguese midfielder. A metronomic presence at the heart of the action, the fact that he’s clever in tight spaces allows the rest of his teammates to thrive elsewhere.

If you still don’t understand how his maturity elevates his side’s play, it’s this simple: without Vitinha, there’s a case that PSG are nowhere near as well-oiled as they are with him stationed in the middle. His rise from being a mere afterthought at Wolverhampton Wanderers to one of the best midfielders on the planet has been otherworldly – but his hard work and determination have disregarded his previous struggles. Now that he’s won the Nations League with Portugal, a spot on the Ballon d’Or podium is now a very real possibility.

Vitinha for PSG in 2024/25

Games
52

Goals
7

Assists
3

2Lamine Yamal

Barcelona & Spain

There has never been a teenage winner of the Ballon d’Or before, and the fact of the matter is, Lamine Yamal still has another couple of years to achieve this feat. If he continues his incredible upward trajectory, all bets are off as to whether he can really do it. His current form, combined with his superstardom, makes him something of a shoo-in in years to come – but could he do it in 2025?

Having already put one of the biggest clubs in Europe on his back since he was 15 and helped lead his country to a European Championship at 16, Yamal is clearly a fearless individual who embodies the phrase “if you’re good enough, you’re old enough.” He’s broken several records already, but could this one potentially be his finest? His manager, Hansi Flick, believes there’s only one better player in world football right now, and many onlookers have been quick to question whether Lionel Messi was ever as good as Yamal was during his youth.

Although Barca went out of the Champions League, Yamal’s efforts in that competition truly caught the eye, and it was his wonderful goal against Espanyol that sealed his second La Liga title – having also scored in the most recent Clasico – so perhaps the Ballon d’Or could still go his way. Legendary Italian coach Fabio Capello certainly believes so, having revealed his top three picks for the award. Although he failed to inspire Spain to glory in the Nations League final, he remains a serious Ballon d’Or contender.

Lamine Yamal for Barcelona in 2024/25

Games
55

Goals
18

Assists
25

1Ousmane Dembele

Paris Saint-Germain & France

It’s not unfair to say that it has been a whirlwind few years for Ousmane Dembele, is it? Catching the eye of many while on the books at Borussia Dortmund, the Frenchman failed to pull up trees at Barcelona – but his switch from Spain to Paris Saint-Germain has paid dividends, with him now firmly in the lead for this year’s highly coveted Ballon d’Or prize.

And his standing is on good merit too – Luis Enrique’s PSG are firing on all cylinders with Vernon-born Dembele acting as the chief figurehead and, well, his goal record speaks for itself. In 49 outings in all competitions, the winger-turned-striker has notched 33 goals and a further 13 assists. They’ve been important goals, too – just reflect on him acting quickest to prod home against Liverpool or his strike against Arsenal on the way to Champions League glory.

 

Ousmane Dembele for PSG in 2024/25

Games
49

Goals
33

Assists
13