Ranking the five favourites for the 2025 Ballon d’Or | OneFootball

The Ballon d’Or might have only been awarded a matter of weeks ago but attention will soon turn to next year’s prize.

Rodri was the recipient of football’s greatest individual honour in 2024. But with the Spaniard sidelined for the campaign a new name is set to be on the trophy this time around. As we reach the midway point of the campaign, we’ve looked at the frontrunners to take the 2025 accolade.

Ranking the five favourites for the 2025 Ballon d’Or

Robert Lewandowski – Barcelona (8/1)

Robert Lewandowski’s move from Bayern Munich to Barcelona was designed to give him a greater chance of Ballon d’Or success. Controversially overlooked for the Covid-cancelled 2020 award and again in 2021, he picked up back-to-back The Best FIFA Men’s Player awards but not the coveted Golden Ball.

At 36, time appeared to be running out but Lewandowski has shown few signs of slowing down. He has 16 goals in 18 league appearances for Barcelona this season and seven more in the Champions League. He’s currently fifth favourite, just ahead of club teammate Raphinha and Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham.

Kylian Mbappe – Real Madrid (6/1)

Kylian Mbappe is another big name hoping the spotlight on Spanish football can lead to individual acclaim. The France captain made a high-profile move to Real Madrid in the summer, having netted 256 goals in 308 games for Paris Saint-Germain.

He hasn’t quite caught fire in a Real Madrid shirt, despite a healthy return of 10 league goals in 16 games. However, he boasts the talent to explode over the second half of the campaign. Mbappe finished third in the vote for the 2023 prize.

Lamine Yamal – Barcelona (6/1)

Lamine Yamal is chasing a record-breaking Ballon d’Or success. The teenager took home the Golden Boy and Kopa Trophy this year as the most exciting u-21 talent in the game. A star of Spain’s success at Euro 2024, he has started the new campaign at the forefront of Barcelona’s title challenge. Yamal leads La Liga for assists (9) and has scored five times to reemphasise his status as world football’s most promising player.

Ronaldo Nazario holds the record as the youngest Ballon d’Or winner, having taken the title in 1997 at the age of 21.

Yamal does not turn 18 until next summer…

Remembering when a 21-year-old Ronaldo Nazario won the Ballon d’Or

Vinicius Junior – Real Madrid (9/2)

Real Madrid’s monumental tantrum at being overlooked for the 2024 award soured the Ballon d’Or ceremony this year, with the Spaniard believing Vinicius Junior should have been coronated. Cristiano Ronaldo even weighed in on the argument this week, admitting it was ‘unfair’ the Brazilian was overlooked when speaking at the Globe Soccer Awards.

Vinicius, unquestionably the most decisive player in the Champions League in recent seasons, certainly had a strong case. That said, calls of a Rodri robbery were wide of the mark. Expect the 24-year-old to be in the conversation again this time around, with Vinicius arguably the world’s best right now.

Mohamed Salah – Liverpool (9/2)

Mohamed Salah is the joint-favourite for the Ballon d’Or after a scintillating start to the season.

Salah has 17 goals and 13 assists in 18 league games for Liverpool, producing at least 10 more goal involvements than any other player in Europe’s top five leagues. It has been an astonishing campaign for the 32-year-old, who is aiming to become just the second African footballer to win the Ballon d’Or, after George Weah.

Despite his consistent excellence at Liverpool, Salah’s highest Ballon d’Or finish was fifth in 2019 after Liverpool won the Champions League. With the Reds the top team in England and Europe at the turn of the year, he has placed himself in contention to challenge.

Read – The highest percentage of goal involvement in a Premier League title-winning team

See more – A best XI of footballers who have retired in 2024

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