Ballon D'or 2025 Ranking: Top 10 Golden Ball Contenders (Rankings Revealed!)

The Ballon d’Or is undoubtedly the most prestigious individual honour in football. While for some, the expectations were not met, for a lot of football fans, the authorities have crowned the rightful winner in 2024. The evening was full of football shenanigans, from teams refusing to attend the ceremony to players raising their voices about what they believed. Here, we attempt to look at the Ballon d’Or 2025 ranking based on performances in the current season.

After months of speculation, Ousmane Dembele, after his brilliant performance for PSG in the 2024-25 season, won the men's Ballon d'Or award in 2025. He beat the likes of Barcelona wonderkid Lamine Yamal, Liverpool legend Mohamed Salah and other PSG players like Vitinha and Nuno Mendes to secure the coveted individual accolade. Yamal finished second while Vitinha, Salah and Raphinha were the other players in the top five, exactly what we had predicted. Here's how the final Ballon d’Or 2025 rankings top 10 look after the ceremony was concluded on 22nd September:

Ballon D’or 2025 Power Rankings (Updated List)

We at Sportsdunia tried to give a glimpse of what happened at the Ballon d'Or ceremony on September 22, 2025.. The table below shows the Ballon d’Or 2025 ranking based on stats and fans’ sentiments as well.

Criteria Behind Ballon d’Or Ranking 2025

The table below explains the ranking criteria used for listing the 2025 Ballon d’Or power rankings. These factors evaluate players based on their individual and team achievements throughout the season. After analyzing the key stats and figures, we were able to curate the Ballon d’Or 2025 power rankings.

Note:

• Data for above mentioned metrics are fetched from reliable sources on the internet like - Transfrmarkt, Fbref and Sportsdunia
• Odds of above mentioned players are taken from oddspedia

Ballon d’Or 2025 Rankings Top 10

Now that we’ve explained how the top 10 best players in the Ballon d’Or 2025 rankings were evaluated using our ranking factors, it’s time to explore what these players achieved to distinguish themselves in the Ballon d’Or 2025 rankings this year.

10. Robert Lewandowski (Barcelona & La Liga)

Our Ballon d'Or 2025 power rankings start with the veteran Polish captain taking up tenth place on our list. The Barcelona striker Robert Lewandowski had a terrific last season, scoring a staggering 42 goals and three assists in 52 games. Do we really need a reason why Robert Lewandowski should not be a strong contender? The last time he was in the Ballon d’Or race, he was bested by Messi to be the crowned winner.

After a tough beginning under Xavi at the club, the Polish international found his form back under Hansi Flick. Those still doubting his place on our list mustn't have seen the performance against Los Blancos. His recent performance during friendly games, where he continued to add more goals to his name, might even push him further up on our list of the 2025 Ballon d’Or ranking. However, the start of the season 2025/26 for the Polish striker was not as good as expected but he has picked up his form after he scored a brace in the 6-0 win over Valencia.

9. Achraf Hakimi (PSG & Ligue 1)

Among the three PSG players in our list, the Moroccan full-back is the first one, placed at 9th position overall. Hakimi earns his spot in the ranking after making crucial contributions to Paris Saint-Germain's quintuple season, including their historic UEFA Champions League triumph, where he assisted 16 times and found the back of the net 11 times. Also, his 2024/25 season stats made him the best right back in 2025.

However, while his chances of breaking into the top 3 of the Ballon d'Or are slim, his performances have certainly secured him a spot in the top 10.

Since the start of the new season, his form has dipped after averaging 7.79 last season, he is now struggling to cross the 7.0 mark in the early stages. If things went unnoticed, we will be able to see him in the top 10 for sure with his teammates Vitinha and Ousmane Dembele.

8. Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid & La Liga)

The English midfielder Jude Bellingham keeps getting better each season. In the 2024-25 season, he has 15 assists and 15 goals. There’s a reason why the Madrid fans hail him as one of the best players in the world at just 21. The changed role, which made him do some defensive duties too, impacted his goal tally; otherwise player was capable of entering the top 5 of the Ballon d’Or 2025 ranking.

The 21-year-old is the dominant figure in the midfield; his toughness to fight for the ball, phenomenal work rate, coupled with an eye for scoring goals, is what makes him a useful cog for the defending La Liga and European champions. Moreover, the midfielder has bonded well with the likes of Mbappe and Vinicius, which may affect his 2026 Ballon d'Or Ranking.

7. Harry Kane (Bayern Munich & Bundesliga)

While the Bavarians had struggled in the initial phase of the domestic league, they managed to win the league at last. Harry Kane has delivered an exceptional performance for FC Bayern Munich. Where fans thought he would bring the ‘Trophy Curse” with him, he made sure that he stood up in important matches for his team and finally won his first major trophy with Bayern Munich.

The 31-year-old English Striker claimed the Bundesliga Golden Boot in the 2023/24 season. Last term, the striker racked up goals for fun in the top German division and won his second successive golden boot. The English striker continued his goal-scoring in the Club World Cup, where he has scored 3 goals and 1 assist in total. However, his chances to climb the Ballon d’Or 2025 power rankings were nonexistent, given his trophy cabinet.

6. Kylian Mbappe (Real Madrid & La Liga)

The Mbappe-Real Madrid transfer saga finally ended in the summer of 2024. When the Frenchman joined Los Blancos, it raised eyebrows about how Ancelotti would manage with two world-class left-wingers on the same team. The French striker Kylian Mbappe earned a trophy in his first month with the Los Blancos, which turned out to be the only trophy in the 2024/25 season, thanks to his goal contribution, which put him on the list despite a turbulent domestic season.

The Frenchman has a goal contribution of 48, making him the only protagonist for Real Madrid in our 2025 Ballon d’Or power rankings. The player has the highest rating among Madrid players, which shows his great performance despite an Unfortunate season. However, the Frenchman could have increased his chances of winning the Ballon d’Or by winning the Club World Cup, but the team failed to enter the race for the title.

5. Mohamed Salah (Liverpool & Premier League)

Nobody knows why Egyptian winger Mohamed Salah was not among the nominees for the Ballon d’Or 2024 rankings. It would be a disaster for the authorities if someone wanted to argue this with statistics. The Egyptian king has already netted 34 goals and 23 assists in the recently concluded season. In addition to Liverpool's historic 20th EPL title, Mohamed Salah has also won the FWA award for the second time, placing him alongside Thierry Henry. Additionally, the Egyptian won the PFA Premier League player of the year award for the third time, making him the player with the most PFA award wins(non-consecutive)

The last time an African won the prestigious award was back in 1995 when George Weah was crowned. However, his 4th-ranked finish on 22nd September may have hurt a few Reds' fans as they were expecting a much better finish.

4. Raphinha (Barcelona & La Liga)

If there is an example of the right mindset guiding you to the right path, it is the Brazilian winger Raphinha. Ever since the days of Leeds, he has shown a strong character and principles. On his arrival at Barcelona, the former Leeds attacker initially struggled a little with Xavi Ball, but under Hansi Flick and has been on fire.

He has made the Spanish pundits rethink the discussion for the best Winger in the League. He had 34 goals and 25 assists last season, making him the player with the highest goals and assists in the FC Barcelona squad. The Brazilian played his best football, and if we speak about momentum, he might had spoiled a lot of players’ parties in the Ballon d’Or 2025 ranking by emerging at 5th position in the ranking, a slight deviation from our predicted rankings.

3. Vitinha (PSG & Ligue 1)

At number 3 in our list of Ballon d’Or ranking 2025, we have Vitinha. Do we need to discuss his goal contributions or his remarkable game-reading ability? The Portuguese had been unreal since the arrival of Luis Enrique at the club. Last season, Paris Saint-Germain defied all odds and finally got their hands on the UEFA Champions League trophy, which the club desired the most for so long. But the limelight was always on Dembele, Desire Doue and Joao Neves, but it was the Portuguese midfielder Vitinha who was silently working in the field.

With PSG winning the league, domestic cups, UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Super Cup, he had a terrific season. But what truly made the difference was the UEFA Nations League final victory against Spain recently. Vitinha has carried his ‘A’ form into the Club World Cup, where his vision mixed with skills has proved to be pivotal in PSG’s run, which was stopped by Chelsea in the Final. Additionally, his UEFA Super Cup win boosted his rankings and placed him in the top 3 in the official Ballon d'Or rankings.

2. Lamine Yamal (Barcelona & La Liga)

At number 2 in the official Ballon d'Or ranking and in our Ballon d’Or 2025 power rankings, we have Lamine Yamal. Crowned champion for the Kopa trophy this year,the Spanish wonderkid Lamine Yamal had a breakout season. The La Masia sensation already had outlets talking before the Euros began and after the 2024 European Championship success. His exceptional performance during the UEFA Champions League knockout games, as well as the UEFA Nations League, where Spain reached the final, is what sets him apart from his competitors.

He has 18 goals and 25 assists in the 2024-25 season. From smooth movements to amazing agility, he has everything to improve and become even better over time. And with such a strong team and coach behind him, not only is he the frontrunner for this year, but also for years to come if he continues to perform like this. He has already won 2 La Liga trophies at 17 and completed the domestic treble at such a young age, making him the best young player in the world right now.

1. Ousmane Dembele (PSG & Ligue 1)

The arrival of Luis Enrique at Paris Saint-Germain has changed things for the better for the players and the club. Be it discipline or passion, the club has been very different this season. Among the warriors, the French winger Ousmane Dembele has been leading the team by example with his extraordinary performances for the Parisians. The Parisian has completed the Quadruple this season, winning two domestic titles and one European trophy.

The French International has bagged 35 goals and provided 16 assists so far in the season, which includes the FIFA Club World Cup, including two sensational hat-tricks in the Champions League and Ligue 1. Before the Parisian side moved to the USA for their FIFA Club World Cup campaign. Luis Enrique, the current coach, backed Dembele and said that “Dembele deserves it” when he was asked about the potential Ballon d'Or winner. The prediction made by the best Spanish manager came true when the French national team winger won the prestigious prize on 22nd September. His speech and tears after receiving the Ballon d'Or clearly showed how much it meant for the player who had seen some tough times in the past.