With the 2024-25 season wrapped up, it’s time to ask the all important question: Who deserves to win the Ballon d’Or?
The shortlist features an eclectic mix of seasoned superstars and breakthrough sensations.
Here are the frontrunners to collect the award. Who has the best case to win it?
Ousmane Dembélé (France / PSG)
Trophies: Ligue 1, Coupe De France, French Supercup, Champions League
Individual Awards: Champions League Player of The Tournament, Ligue 1 Top Scorer
Case For:
Ousmane Dembélé had a monster season, finally delivering on the potential we’ve all seen glimpses of over the years. A Champions League win, and a player of the tournament to boot – that’s Ballon d’Or form. Furthermore, Dembélé came alive at the start of the 2025 calendar year. Exemplified by crucial goals in key Champions League knockout games against Liverpool, and particularly his tie-decider in the thrilling semi-final against Arsenal.
If you add in the 28 year old’s domestic dominance, winning the Ligue 1 golden boot: could Dembélé be in pole position? We certainly think he’s hard to ignore.
Case Against:
Skeptics will make the argument: Ligue 1 is not the most competitive league. Whilst this is not inaccurate, PSG’s Champions League triumph almost cancels out this argument. Secondly, Dembélé’s stats – whilst they are elite, they don’t quite reach the volume of his peers, Mbappé or Raphinha.
Lamine Yamal (Spain / Barcelona)
Trophies: La Liga, Copa Del Rey, Spanish Supercup
Individual Awards: U23 Player of The Season in La Liga
Case For:
At just 17 years old (throughout this season, now having turned 18), Lamine Yamal is redefining what “wonderkid” means. We had all seen snippets of Yamal’s immense talent, however, I don’t think many people would have been gambling that we’d see him blossom so soon. He’s not just easy on the eye, he’s ruthlessly effective. Lifting three major trophies and producing 47 goal contributions in 62 games, you could easily mistake Yamal for a 28 year old in his pomp. He’s bringing back the early 2000s style of winger, defenders look noticeably scared when he runs at them and opens up his box of tricks. Perhaps his strongest case is that he offers a major threat beyond just goals and assists. Lamine Yamal makes games come alive. He makes things happen; he never stops asking for the ball, and his first thought is to attack his full back.
How good will he become? It’s a scary thought. Presently? He’s already a major contender for this year’s Ballon d’Or.
Case Against:
Whilst his numbers are alien for his age, many voters will find it hard to ignore players with greater goal contribution statistics. Furthermore, fans may see his season as a stepping stone towards future dominance, rather than his pinnacle. There is an argument to say the current narrative around his level is exaggerated due to his age, however, age shouldn’t matter when it comes to whether a player deserves to win the Ballon d’Or. Are Yamal’s numbers enough?
Raphinha (Brazil / Barcelona)
Trophies: La Liga, Copa Del Rey, Spanish Supercup
Individual Awards: Champions League Top Scorer
Case For:
Champions League Top Scorer and 64 goal contributions in 64 matches? Outrageous output. Coupled with a domestic treble, Raphinha is perhaps the most statistically deserving player on the list. Watching the left-footed winger play for Leeds, it was clear that he deserved to play in Europe’s top club competition. This season, Raphinha proved that he not only deserves to play, he can dominate in the Champions League.
Case Against:
Despite his impressive numbers, Raphinha may currently lack the “superstar” narrative and media magnetism. Fair or not, that has historically mattered. One would assume, if he has another season like his last, we won’t be making this point in 12 months time. He may lack the inevitable threat that the likes of Mbappé or Yamal can offer – they can score winning goals, even when they have underperformed.
Mohamed Salah (Egypt / Liverpool)
Trophies: Premier League
Individual Awards: Premier League Player of The Season, Premier League Golden Boot
Case For:
Salah fired Liverpool back to the top of England, a feat that earned him serious Ballon d’Or points on its own. His 61 goal contributions in 57 games is elite, as we’ve come to expect from the Egyptian. When you’re the top dog in the world’s toughest league, you’re always in the Ballon d’Or conversation.
Case Against:
Dropped a bit in form in the second half of the season. Lack of European or international trophies will hurt his case. In a crowded field, that may make all the difference in such a statistics-based football sphere. Similar to Raphinha, Salah has less X-factor compared to some of his competitors.
Kylian Mbappé (France / Real Madrid)
Trophies: UEFA Supercup, Intercontinental Cup
Individual Awards: La Liga Player of The Season, La Liga Top Scorer, European Golden Shoe
Case For:
Mbappé’s numbers are typically gargantuan. He won the European Golden Shoe, conquered La Liga and remains the most feared number 9 on the planet. It was an outstanding debut season at The Bernabéu, grasping playing in a new country – in a clearly dysfunctional Real Madrid side. Mbappé didn’t just score, he spearheaded a new-look Real Madrid. His link up and understanding with the Madrid attack looked to improve towards the back end of the season. He’s certainly put his name in the hat.
Case Against:
Even though Mbappé isn’t to blame for Real Madrid’s season without major trophies, it will always count against him in the Ballon d’Or race. With no Champions League and no major domestic title, Mbappé’s individual brilliance may be beaten by a player with more trophies. Furthermore, the spotlight is always on Kylian Mbappé – and a lack of goals in big games will go against him in his pursuit of his first Ballon d’Or.
Pedri (Spain / Barcelona)
Trophies: La Liga, Copa Del Rey, Spanish Supercup
Case For:
Barcelona’s heartbeat. Another enormous season for the Spanish puppeteer. He never misses a minute, proving why he’s so valuable to his club and country. Pedri’s game control, intelligence, vision and energy don’t always show in the glitzy statistics. However, it is worth mentioning Pedri had, by far, the most ball recoveries in La Liga – demonstrating how versatile of a midfielder he is. Furthermore, 69 appearances and a domestic treble show Pedri’s consistency and influence on his teammates.
Case Against:
Whilst his endurance and regularity are second-to-none, he’s more likely to be a future nominee than a frontrunner this year. Should Pedri add a major international trophy or a Champions League to his season-long purple patches, we might just see him top this list in years to come.
Vitinha (Portugal / PSG)
Trophies: Ligue 1, Coupe De France, French Supercup, Champions League, Nations League
Case For:
5 trophies including the Champions League, Nations League and the domestic treble could almost be a justifiable Ballon d’Or case all on its own. Portugal’s midfield maestro and PSG’s heartbeat. The trophies alone tell a story of big-game impact and elite consistency. Furthermore, Vitinha’s majestic style of play passes the eye-test without doubt: he’s one of the world’s top midfielders.
Case Against:
Similar to Pedri, Vitinha’s game is more subtle than his peers on this list. In Ballon d’Or voting, subtlety often loses to eye-catching statistics. Does Vitinha suffer from “too good and too consistent to notice” syndrome? The question could be answered, if he’s ever absent from a game.
Final thoughts
This year might be the most wide open Ballon d’Or race in recent memory. The question remains stronger than ever: do you reward numbers, trophies in the cabinet, or historical narrative?
A blend of all three?
Let the debates rage.
