Ballon d’Or 2025 Power Rankings

The Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo duopoly over the Ballon d’Or appears to have come to an end, as Manchester City midfielder Rodri was crowned the 2024 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 Spaniard is a well-deserving recipient this year, the ACL injury he suffered in the early part of the 2024/25 campaign means that it is incredibly unlikely 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

10

Jamal Musiala

Bayern Munich & Germany

Jamal Musiala was a spearheading presence in Bayern Munich’s Bundesliga triumph in the concluding stages of the 2022/23 season – but, similarly to his teammates, endured a quieter campaign to follow. But when the awe-inspiring youngster – widely regarded as one of the best dribblers in world football – is at the races, he’s largely unstoppable.

Defenders hate to see him charging at them as his rangy frame allows him to retain possession with relative ease and as long as Vincent Kompany and his entourage challenge and win trophies, you can bet your bottom dollar that Musiala, 22, is in with a shout of being named the leading star of the beautiful game.

9

Ousmane 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 race for this year’s highly coveted Ballon d’Or prize.

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And his standing is on good merit too – Luis Enrique’s PSG are firing on all cylinders with Dembele acting as the chief figurehead and, well, his goal record speaks for itself. In 36 outings in all competitions, the winger-turned-striker has notched 29 goals and a further six assists. They’ve been important goals, too – just reflect on him acting quickest to notch against Liverpool.

8

Jude Bellingham

Real Madrid & England

There were not many fans that foresaw how much of an impact Jude Bellingham would make on Real Madrid’s aspirations upon the news that he was swapping Borussia Dortmund for the Spanish top flight – but the lanky midfielder, a 40-cap, six-goal England international, notched a lofty 23 goals and a further 13 assists across all competitions.

While his goal contributions to Carlo Ancelotti’s aspirations dried up ever-so slightly in the new campaign, the Stourbridge-born ace has been just as influential in a less attacking role, with him now tasked with running the Madrid-based engine room alongside the likes of Aurelien Tchouameni and Eduardo Camavinga. Arguably, his biggest roadblock to continued success isn’t his ability, but interestingly, his questionable disciplinary record.

7

Robert Lewandowski

Barcelona & Poland

There were fears among some that Robert Lewandowski was beginning a slow decline last season, as the usually talismanic goalscorer was no longer reaching the heights that fans had come to expect from him. Father time does catch up with everyone, and it appeared the former Bayern Munich star was no exception to that old-age notion.

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However, the arrival of Hansi Flick at Camp Nou has reinvigorated the former Bayern Munich poacher, who is banging in goals like he is in his prime once again. With 34 goals and three assists from 39 appearances, perhaps revenge is on the mind of the Polish frontman as he chases the Ballon d’Or title he was robbed of in 2020.

6

Harry Kane

Bayern Munich & England

A trophy-hungry Harry Kane will be motivated by silverware this season after his disappointments with both his Bundesliga employers, Bayern Munich, and his country, England, over the last 12 months. While that may be his primary goal, his role in achieving that could line him up for plenty of individual acclaim.

Goals are the name of the game, and Kane is a master at scoring them. If he is able to bring domestic trophies, and maybe even a European one, to the Allianz Arena by continuing his fine form, there could be no stopping the London-born talisman, who is regarded as one of England’s greatest-ever forwards.

5

Lamine 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.

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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? As of right now, he’s got every reason to believe he can do it. His manager Hansi Flick believes there’s only one better player in world football right now.

4

Vinicius Junior

Real Madrid & Brazil

After refusing to attend the Ballon d’Or ceremony in 2024 once he found out he wasn’t going to win the award, Vinicius Jr may have to wait one more year before being crowned the first Brazilian since Kaka to claim the prestigious trophy. It’s understandable why the winger was caught off guard by the fact he didn’t win in the most recent go-around. After all, he was the favourite even on the day of the gala.

It wasn’t meant to be for Vinicius, though, but if he can put in another campaign that is on par with or exceeds what he has done in the last couple of years, he may very well be among the front-runners when all football’s brightest stars gather round in their finery. At the time of writing, he’s plundered 18 goals and 11 assists for a topsy-turvy Los Blancos side who are just starting to find their feet at a pivotal stage of the season.

3

Mohamed Salah

Liverpool & Egypt

A total of 44 goal contributions in his opening 29 Premier League games is 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 early contender for the 2025 Ballon d’Or award – especially if Liverpool reign 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.

2

Raphinha

Barcelona & Brazil

Formerly the posterboy 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. trouble 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 (27 goals and 19 assists in 41 outings). Whether his potency in the final third is sustainable remains a slight question mark – but if Blaugrana add further silverware to their stacked trophy cabinet, who says no?

1

Kylian Mbappe

Real Madrid & France

It feels like an inevitability that at some point in his career, Kylian Mbappe will stand on the 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 only issue now is that he is not the only superstar in the Spanish capital looking to win the award, but his recent form shows he has every quiver in his bow needed to become the main man at the Bernabeu, as 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.

All statistics in this article are via Transfermarkt – correct as of 13/03/2025