Though the new football season is just around the corner, we’ll soon be looking backwards in the run up to the 2025 Ballon d’Or awards.
The award will crown the best player of the 2024/25 season, and unlike in previous years, players will not have the chance to use the first months of next term to enter the running.
There were an array of standout performers across Europe’s top leagues in 2024/25, with a handful of surprise superstars staking their claim for football’s most illustrious individual award,
While Paris Saint-Germain‘s maiden win in the Champions League final could prove decisive for players such as early favourite Ousmane Dembele, this summer’s Club World Cup could propel more surprising names into the mix after Chelsea’s impressive win, while the performances of various stars including Lamine Yamal and Mo Salah means that a ‘less successful’ winner could be on the podium come 22 September.
Here’s everything you need to know about the 2025 Ballon d’Or:
Who are the top contenders?
Ousmane Dembele
Dembele spent seven years haunted by the £135.5m price tag Barcelona paid for him back in 2017, having never set the Camp Nou alive during his spell in Catalonia. But back in his homeland, the Frenchman is finally proving his worth.
The prolific forward was the leading light in PSG’s electric attack last season, notching a staggering 35 goals and 16 assists for Luis Enrique’s redefined side.
As well as propelling the Parisians to a comfortable Ligue 1 title – the minimum requirement for a PSG season – his goals have come good in the Champions League, taking PSG to the club’s holy grail in a maiden European Cup win.
We know how important winning Europe’s premier competition can be in deciding the recipient of the Ballon d’Or, and a series of influential performances in the competition makes the 27-year-old the early favourite.
Lamine Yamal
Barcelona’s latest teenage sensation looks almost certain to pick up a Ballon d’Or in years to come, if not a fair few. But don’t count him out of the running this season either.
The 17-year-old Spaniard was integral to Barcelona’s domestic success this season, boasting 18 goals and 25 assists in all competitions. A player who rises to the occasion when it most matters, he inspired the Blaugrana’s sublime 4-3 comeback win in May’s crucial El Clasico – ending Real Madrid’s hopes of a late-season LaLiga comeback story – and was also impressive in the Copa Del Rey final victory over Los Blancos.
He is already getting worthy comparisons to Lionel Messi, but could well win his first Ballon d’Or four years earlier than his idol managed.
Vitinha
Former Wolves midfielder Vitinha has been another surprise to emerge from Luis Enrique’s new-look PSG side, with the Portugal man proving a vital cog in the Parisian midfield alongside Fabian Ruiz and compatriot Joao Neves.
A tally of eight goals and five assists in all competitions is not as impressing as other key members of the squad, but it was in possession where Vitinha really excelled, with his efforts enabling much of the scintillating attacking play that took place ahead of him.
As well as a treble that included PSG’s first ever European Cup, Vitinha was key in Portugal’s victory in the Nations League, meaning that he has moved into he top five favourites for the Ballon d’Or ahead of the new season.
Mohamed Salah
Liverpool talisman Salah has put together one of the all-time great individual Premier League seasons as the rocket fuel behind Arne Slot’s debut season title win.
With 29 goals and 18 assists in the league, he matched the all-time record for goal involvements in a single campaign, with 47. This isa record now jointly shared with Alan Shearer and Andy Cole , both of whom set their records in 42-match seasons.
While the Reds fell to PSG in their push for a seventh Champions League title, Salah’s individual exploits this season have been nevertheless remarkable, propelling Liverpool to a record-equalling 20th English top-flight crown.
Arguably the best campaign of a player who has netted 20-plus goals in eight consecutive seasons at Anfield, there is a strong argument that recognition under the Ballon d’Or banner is long overdue.
Raphinha
The ex-Leeds man would not have been high on many people’s list of Ballon d’Or contenders last August, but Raphinha has stamped his mark as one of the world’s best this term.
After kicking off the campaign in electrifying fashion, the Brazilian has racked up eye-watering goal record with 34 goals and 25 assists in all competitions as Barca stormed to a LaLiga and Copa del Rey double.
Barcelona’s gut-wrenching failure in the Champions League did not come without the efforts of Raphinha – the competition’s joint-top scorer with 13. He netted three across their enthralling semi-final tie with Inter Milan, which ended 7-6 on aggregate in favour of the Nerazzuri.
A player who initially failed to impress in Catalonia following his 2022 move is now one of the first names on the team-sheet. But just like with Yamal, missing out on Europe’s top prize could prove his downfall in the pursuit of Ballon d’Or glory.
When is the 2025 Ballon d’Or?
The 69th edition of the Ballon d’Or will take place in Monday 22 September at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris.
Ballon d’Or winner odds
Football odds constantly chop and change, but the prices below are live and reflect any changes betting sites might make to their Ballon d’Or odds.
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