Top 10 Football players in the 2025 Ballon d’Or Race

As football fans wait to hear who will win the 2025 Ballon d’Or, the list of favourites has shifted after Lamine Yamal’s defeat in the UEFA Nations League final. 

Stars from Europe’s top leagues have made strong cases, from PSG’s Champions League heroes to Barcelona’s league winners and Liverpool’s title comeback. 

Here are the top 10 contenders for the Ballon d’Or ranking:

 10. Achraf Hakimi (PSG)

He scored 11 goals and 15 assists, while his energy up and down the right flank helped the defence keep 21 clean sheets. Those match-winning moments in the Champions League knockout rounds and lifting Ligue 1, the Coupe de France, the Trophée des Champions, plus Europe’s biggest club prize, cement his reputation as the world’s top right-back.

9. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (PSG & Napoli)

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia brought pure magic to both Serie A and Ligue 1, ending the season on 14 goals and 11 assists. The group-stage winner in the Champions League is still a topic of discussion, and his flair was crucial as PSG secured domestic and continental silverware.

8. Désiré Doué (PSG)

At just 18, Désiré Doué showed strength. With 15 goals and 16 assists, he delivered a man-of-the-match performance in the Champions League final and popped up again in the Coupe de France decider. His confidence and skill make you wonder how good he’ll be in a few years’ time.

7. Nuno Mendes (PSG)

Nuno Mendes quietly put in one of the season’s most complete displays. He helped secure 13 clean sheets, racked up 7 goals and 12 assists, and more than held his own against Europe’s fastest wingers. Remember his showdown with Lamine Yamal in the Nations League final? His all-around game was a cornerstone of PSG’s five-trophy haul.

6. Vitinha (PSG)

If PSG were a clock, Vitinha was the pendulum. He scored 7 goals, created 6 assists, and dictated play with a calmness you usually see from legends, not someone still in their early twenties. His vision and work rate powered both PSG’s treble and Portugal’s Nations League triumph.

5. Kylian Mbappé (Real Madrid)

Even the biggest megastar has off days, and Mbappé’s late-season wobble, plus Real Madrid narrowly missing out on La Liga, cost him some Ballon d’Or shine. But 45 goals and 7 assists, combined with match-winning cameos in the UEFA Super Cup and Intercontinental Cup, remind us just how lethal he remains.

4. Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)

Under fresh management, Salah rediscovered his peak form: 36 goals, 24 assists, and a big part of Liverpool’s return to the Premier League summit. A hiccup or two in Europe kept him from climbing higher here, but he never stopped delivering when it mattered.

3. Raphinha (Barcelona)

Raphinha was the heartbeat of Barcelona’s domestic treble. Thirty-nine goals and 25 assists in all competitions, with clutch contributions in La Liga and the Copa del Rey, made him indispensable to Xavi’s side and worthy of a top-three finish.

2. Lamine Yamal (Barcelona)

At just 17, Lamine Yamal rewrote the rulebook on precocious talent. Twenty-one goals, 26 assists, and a level of maturity rarely seen at any age. Even though his Nations League final didn’t end the way he’d hoped, his season-long impact made him a genuine frontrunner.

1. Ousmane Dembélé (PSG)

This year, it’s Dembélé’s turn to lead the line. Thirty-five goals, 15 assists, and some of the most exhilarating play you’ll see. His speed, inventiveness, and knack for turning big moments in PSG’s favour drove them to their first Champions League crown. It’s been his most complete campaign yet, and it puts him squarely at the very top of the Ballon d’Or race.