As we approach the end of the football season in 2024-25, the race for the 2025 Ballon d’Or is set to grow hotter, with a wider or diverse group of players contending for the prize.
With last year’s winner ruled out through injury, someone will emerge with the award, which will be awarded in Paris on October 27, 2025, in the Théâtre du Châtelet.
This means one new winner emerges, there is no defending champion.
Players will be judged not just on their club performances, but both club and international performances. The best odds of the official contenders have performed well and/or contributed solidly to their teams’ efforts in major tournaments.
The race reflects a change from the time of previous legends, to another group of new players, to players we have not seen emerge yet.
The leading contender is PSG’s Ousmane Dembélé, Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal and Raphinha are also in the mix, and then we have Mohamed Salah (Liverpool), Lautaro Martínez (Inter), Gianluigi Donnarumma (PSG), Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (PSG), Pedri (Barcelona), Kylian Mbappé (Real Madrid), and Désiré Doué (PSG), as per The Touchline
Dembélé’s 33 goals and PSG’s victorious Champions League make him the easy front-runner. Yamal is a close second with his sensational performance at just 17 years old and a domestic treble with Barcelona.
Raphinha’s case is also made in part for 34 goals and 25 assists, but it’s doubtful that failing to advance beyond the round of 16 in the Champions League will help him.
Though Salah has had an impressive Premier League season with ease, his team was not able to make a run beyond the round of 16 in the Champions League.
Martínez, Donnarumma, and Kvaratskhelia are in contention simply because their team was successful. While Pedri’s so-called orchestrating from midfield, Mbappe’s continued scoring streak, and Doué’s emergence in his first season with Nantes provide additional interest in the regular season to the race for the Ballon d’Or.
Fans want to know who the top individual on current club success is, and it will be fascinating if he emerges through extraordinary individual and collective performance!
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