Ballon d’Or 2025 Power Ranking: The 10 Top Contenders for the Award
The 2025 Ballon d’Or is still months away, but football fans around the world already talk about who will win the award. After a strong 2024-25 season, many players have made a case with impressive performances both at the club and international level.
Pulse Sports have done a 2025 Ballon d’Or power ranking, taking into account individual performance, team trophies, and consistency.
Here is a ranking of the top ten contenders.
10. Gianluigi Donnarumma (Italy, Paris Saint‑Germain)
Donnarumma has been one of PSG’s best players in the 2024-25 season, where they have dominated everything. He proved his reliability in key Champions League knockout games and contributed significantly to PSG’s run to the title. At age 26, he is now regarded as one of Europe’s elite goalkeepers and remains firmly in contention for football’s highest individual award.
9. Désiré Doué (France, Paris Saint-Germain)
Only 20 years old, Doué quickly became a pivotal player for PSG during the 2024-25 season. In 31 Ligue 1 appearances, he recorded six goals and six assists, earning the club’s UEFA Champions League Young Player of the Season award.
Doué started the Champions League final, where he added two goals and one assist in PSG’s emphatic 5-0 victory over Inter Milan. His maturity, technical skill, and end product make him a standout rising star in the Ballon d’Or debate.
8. Achraf Hakimi (Morocco, Paris Saint-Germain)
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Hakimi has enjoyed an outstanding campaign at PSG. In 24 Ligue 1 starts, he scored four goals and provided six assists while consistently delivering strong defensive performances. His overlapping runs and creative influence from right wing-back were crucial to PSG’s attack and defence. Hakimi played a key role in PSG’s Champions League triumph, with his athleticism and all-round contributions cementing his place as a strong contender.
7. Kylian Mbappé (France, Real Madrid)
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Mbappé enjoyed an excellent year at Real Madrid in his first season with the club. He scored 31 goals in 34 La Liga games and contributed three assists, averaging more than a goal involvement per 90 minutes.
While they did not go on to win any major trophy, he still managed to prove himself as one of the most consistent players in the world.
6. Mohamed Salah (Egypt, Liverpool)
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Salah enjoyed a remarkable 2024-25 campaign with Liverpool. He played in all 38 Premier League matches, scoring 29 goals and providing 18 assists, marking his sixth season with double-digit combined goals and assists.
Salah led Liverpool’s scoring charts and played a key role in securing the Premier League title under manager Arne Slot.
5. Vitinha (Portugal, Paris Saint‑Germain)
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Vitinha has been PSG’s creative engine all season. In 29 Ligue 1 matches, he scored five goals and provided one assist, maintaining exceptional control and composure in midfield. He helped secure the Ligue 1 title and Champions League success, earning a place in the Ligue 1 Team of the Year and the UCL Team of the Year.
Vitinha’s passing accuracy and ability to manage transitions make him an influential two-way midfielder who deserves attention in the Ballon d’Or race.
4. Nuno Mendes (Portugal, Paris Saint‑Germain)
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Mendes has reached peak form at PSG and for Portugal. He featured 42 times in Ligue 1, scoring one goal and assisting six.
Mendes also excelled in the Champions League final and was crucial in Portugal’s Nations League triumph, earning Man of the Match after neutralising Lamine Yamal and scoring in the final. His pace, technical skill, and ability to contribute at both ends make him one of the world’s top full-backs and a rising Ballon d’Or contender.
3. Lamine Yamal (Spain, Barcelona)
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At only 17, Yamal has already broken records. He played a major role in Barcelona’s domestic treble, La Liga, Copa del Rey, and Supercopa de España. This season in La Liga, he scored nine goals and provided 13 assists in 35 games.
The creativity and maturity for his age make him one of football’s brightest prospects and a good contender for the award.
2. Raphinha (Brazil, Barcelona)
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Raphinha was instrumental in Barcelona’s revival under Hansi Flick. In 36 La Liga games, he scored 18 goals and recorded nine assists
He also claimed the La Liga MVP award and was named Player of the Month in August and January
In the Champions League, Raphinha made 21 goal contributions, equalling Cristiano Ronaldo’s record.
His leadership on the pitch and consistent big-match performances have solidified his status as Barcelona’s key player and one of the top contenders for the Ballon d’Or.
1. Ousmane Dembélé (France, Paris Saint‑Germain)
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Dembélé leads the Ballon d’Or race for 2025. In all competitions, he contributed to 33 goals, 25 scored and eight assists, playing a central role in PSG’s Champions League triumph.
He also earned multiple individual honours, including Ligue 1 Player of the Year, UCL Player of the Year, a place in the UEFA Champions League Team of the Season, and inclusion in the UNFP Team of the Year. His renaissance season has made him PSG’s central match-winner and the front-runner for Europe’s most prestigious individual honour.
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