Ballon d’Or 2025 Rankings | Top 10 Contenders

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 rankings on the basis of performances in the current season.

The night marked a new era as it was the first time that both Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo were not present at the ceremony. We have finally seen the Ronaldo-Messi domination come to an end. The 2024 Ballon d’Or was won by Rodri. The Spanish defensive midfielder had been the key to Spain’s Euro success as well as Man City’s campaign last season.

While the individual brilliance has already been awarded to one of the best players from last season, due to the season-long injury, Rodri is less likely to defend his crown. Nonetheless, there are new contenders in line to get their hands on the accolade, such as the likes of Raphinha, Mohamed Salah, and Kylian Mbappe, who are a few big names on the list. As the top-flight football season comes to a close, the world will witness a new Ballon d’Or winner on September 22, 2025, in Paris. So, what do the Ballon d’Or 2025 rankings top 10 look like? In this post, we will have a closer look at it.

Ballon d’Or 2025 Rankings

Criteria Behind Ballon d’Or Ranking 2025

Top 10 Ballon d’Or 2025 Power Rankings

10. Vitinha (PSG & Ligue 1)

Do we have to talk about his goal contribution or his insane game-reading ability? The Portuguese had been unreal since the arrival of Luis Enrique at the club. This season, Paris Saint-Germain has defied all odds and has 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 Vitinha who was silently working in the field. Though his goal contribution might not be that high but his play in the middle, to pick runs, defending the ball, and reading the flow is what makes him one of the best.

With PSG winning the league, domestic cups, as well as the UEFA Champions League, he had a terrific season. But what truly made the difference is the UEFA Nations League final victory against Spain recently. Although he’s not a favorite to finish in the top 5 but you never know with the new standards for deciding the winner.

9. Robert Lewandowski (Barcelona & La Liga)

With a phenomenal 42-goal tally and 3 assists for the Blaugrana this term, do we really need to give a reason why Robert Lewandowski should not be a strong contender? He has seen it all and done it all. The last time he was in the Ballon d’Or race, he was bested by Messi to be the crowned winner. The Polish player has the most goals for FC Barcelona this season, and he was once leading the Pichichi race too, only to get overtaken by Kylian Mbappe in the last days of La Liga.

This year, the Polish International is proving to be getting his form back. The Pole had struggled under Xavi, but he has risen from the ashes under Hansi Flick. His recent amazing performance came against Los Blancos, where he scored twice. As the season progresses, he will add more goals to his name and punch his ticket to the 2025 Ballon d’Or ranking. He has won the Domestic Treble with FC Barcelona and was the key contributor in many of FC Barcelona’s matches. Though the player performed badly in some of the games, which made his rating go below the 7.30 mark.

8. Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid & La Liga)

The English midfielder keeps on getting better each season. In the 2024-25 season so far, he has 14 assists and 14 goals. There’s a reason why the Madrid fans hail him as one of the best players in the world at just 21. Jude Bellingham has been their key player and remains an undisputed starter in Carlo Ancelotti’s lineup. 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. With an average rating of 75.4, which tells how consistent he was in a disastrous season for Real Madrid. The player only has a single trophy, which he won in 2024.

7. Vinicius Jr (Real Madrid & La Liga)

Contrary to the expectations of himself and others, Vinicious was not crowned the winner last year. Real Madrid‘s star boy hasn’t given up on his ambitions and has been working towards achieving the feat. So far, the Brazilian winger has 21 goals and 18 assist this season. as the season is on verge of getting over, everyone is slamming the player including the Los Blancos fans that he didn’t work half of what he promised after last year Ballon d’Or alleged robbery, “I’ll do it 10x if I have to. They’re not ready” that’s what Vinicius Tweeted after Rodri won the Ballon d’Or.

Vinicius Jr. won the UEFA Super Cup earlier this season, and the winger was in good form this campaign. The player has a G+A of 36, which is average for someone of his stature. However, many fans think that he is a victim of the ‘Galacticos 2.0’, a squad consisting of star players like Mbappe, Rodrygo, and Jude Bellingham. Still, the player has managed to pull 7.35 rating throughout the season and stood up on many occasions for the team.

6. 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 expected performance for FC Bayern Munich. Despite being 31, there is no sign of stopping the Englishman. Under the newly appointed coach, Vincent Kompany, he has shone with 38 goals and 13 assists this season, which pretty much speaks for itself. 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 last year claimed the Bundesliga Golden Boot last season. This term, the striker racked up goals for fun in the top German division, moving towards his second successive golden boot. The rating of 7.55 tells how consistent he was throughout the season. FC Bayern Munich also displayed a decent performance in the UCL before getting knocked out by Inter Milan in a close encounter.

5. 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. Kylian Mbappe was welcomed by the UEFA Super Cup triumph before the start of the 2024-25 season. The lone warrior for the defending champions this season, after some unfortunate games at the start of the season, the player completely turned the season around for himself. The Frenchman has a G+A of 48 so far, making him the only protagonist for Real Madrid.

Neutral Fans are also happy to see his behaviour – where the whole Madrid team was complaining about the refs, he was the one who took the responsibility and almost made FC Barcelona lose the last El Clásico. While the Frenchman has up the level of a game in an instant and fortunately regained his confidence back and enjoying an amazing scoring spree for the Spanish Champions, he scored a superb hattrick to knock out Man City from the UEFA Champions League The former PSG striker is definitely a favourite to claim the Ballon d’Or 2025. The player has the highest rating among Madrid players, which shows his performance despite an Unfortunate season.

4. Mohamed Salah (Liverpool & Premier League)

Nobody knows why Mohamed Salah was not among the nominees for the Ballon d’Or 2025 rankings. It would be a disaster for the authorities if someone wanted to reason this argument with statistics. The Egyptian king has already netted 34 goals and 23 assists this season so far, leading Liverpool to the top of the Premier League. Mohamed Salah has also won the PFA award for the second time, which made him go shoulder to shoulder with Thierry Henry. With the given stats and a Premier League title, the player ranks 4th in our Power Ranking list.

The 32-year-old has proven to be decisive in the important league. The last time the trophy was won by an African was back in 1995 when George Weah was crowned. Will history be written again in 2025? Maybe. But with the recent EFL Cup final loss and Champions League heartbreak, his chances look dicey.

3. Raphinha (Barcelona & La Liga)

If there is an example of the right mindset guiding you to the right path, it is Raphinha. Ever since the days of Leeds, the Brazilian has shown to have 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. The Leeds United player just showed what a player can achieve with high ambition. The player showed true leadership skills, too, by guiding the team from the front.

He has made the Spanish pundits rethink the discussion for the best Winger in the League. So far, he has 34 goals and 25 assists this season, with his recent one gliding on the nets in El Clásico. The Brazilian is playing his best football right now, and if we speak about momentum, he might spoil a lot of players’ parties in the Ballon d’Or 2025 ranking by emerging as a top candidate. The player has the highest rating on our list of 7.81. The only thing missing from his cabinet is the UCL trophy. which made him slip from first to third in our rankings.

2. 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 the discipline or passion, the club has been very different this season. Among the warriors, 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 33 goals and provided 13 assists so far in the season, including two sensational hat-tricks in the Champions League and Ligue 1. The winger played an important role for the French giants, as they grabbed their first-ever European glory (UEFA Champions League) on the back of a brilliant campaign. The player has a rating of 7.9, which displays his consistent performance throughout the year. It’s going to be a tough battle between him and the No. 1 pick on our list of this year’s Ballon d’Or.

1. Lamine Yamal (Barcelona & La Liga)

Who else would be a front runner for this prestigious award if not the young sensation Yaamal? Crowned champion for the Kopa trophy this year, 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. However, if you ever tune in to La Liga, you will know how special the teenager is. With all the trophies won this season, his performance under key games like El Clásico, the UEFA Champions League knockout games, as well as the most recent, the UEFA Nations League, where Spain reached the final.

So far, he has 18 goals and 25 assists in the 2024-25 season. From smooth movements to amazing agility, he has everything to be better and better as time passes. And with such a strong team and coach behind him, not only is he the frontrunner for this year, but also 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. The player’s attitude is to give a befitting reply by performing and not with words to his rivals and players who silently mock him by liking Instagram posts, making him the best baller in the world right now.

Ballon d’Or Winners List (2020-2025)

How Ballon d’Or Voting Works

After going through the ranking, you must be thinking how the actual voting happens, and the best thing is you don’t have to go anywhere else to find the answer We at Sportsdunia have curated the simplest explanation for the biggest award ceremony of Football.

So the first and the most important part is the selection of 30 players, which is done by the Juries, which you can say are associated with France Football. This phase has been criticised a lot, as every year some of the prominent names get excluded from the list, raising questions. The second steps cover the voting part. Journalists from the 100-ranked FIFA countries are asked to cast their vote for the players. Then the jury ranks players from 1 to 5, and points are allotted to those spots.

Once all the votes are sent in, France Football adds up the points for each player. The one with the highest total points is declared the winner. Finally, the winner is revealed at a grand ceremony in Paris, where players, coaches, and football legends gather to celebrate. If you still have any doubts about the process, below is a short phase-wise explanation of how things work.

Where to watch Ballon d’Or 2025

This time Ballon d’Or 2025 ceremony is set to take place on 22nd September 2025. If you have read our article so far, chances are high that you are excited or interested in watching the Ballon d’Or ceremony. No worries, we’ve got you covered. No matter which region you belong we have curated a list of broadcasters who stream the Ballon d’Or Ceremony.