The race for the highest particular person accolade in males’s soccer has by no means been extra open. With Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo’s duopoly effectively and actually over – neither was nominated for the Ballon d’Or final 12 months – alternative beckons. Rodri took full benefit in 2024. Who will do the identical this 12 months? Every month till the award is offered in October, we’ll publish contemporary rankings wanting on the high contenders. Listed below are the ten main candidates proper now.
Earlier version: March
10. Declan Rice
Earlier: Unranked
Rice rocketed himself into competition with the signature efficiency of the Champions League season to date, scoring two stupendous free-kicks in Arsenal’s quarterfinal victory over reigning champions Actual Madrid.
His probability of changing into the primary Englishman in over 20 years to win the Ballon d’Or hinges totally on the continental competitors; in a 12 months with out a main worldwide summer time event, that rings true for a number of gamers. If Rice can replicate his unimaginable performances towards Madrid and energy Arsenal to its first Champions League title along with his dominant box-to-box means, he’ll proceed climbing within the eyes of the voters.
9. Lautaro Martinez
Earlier: Unranked
Their treble dream might have been extinguished, however Inter are nonetheless very a lot in competition for each the Scudetto and, crucially on this dialog, the Champions League title. Martinez, their captain and high scorer throughout all competitions this season, is main that cost.
He is on a tear within the Champions League with targets in every of his final 5 fixtures within the event. The feisty striker would see his Ballon d’Or possibilities soar if he may also help orchestrate the ouster of Barcelona within the semifinals. That will give him a leg up on a number of direct challengers for the distinction, and a further match within the closing, win or lose, would assist his quest to be the event’s high scorer.
8. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia
Earlier: Unranked
When all is claimed and achieved this season, Kvaratskhelia might have performed a essential function in two groups profitable a mixed 4 trophies. He left Napoli in January after serving to the membership set up itself as a title contender. Regardless of being gone for months, he is nonetheless the squad’s fourth-highest scorer in Serie A this season.
Nevertheless it’s at PSG the place he is hit one other gear. The Georgian winger’s arrival remodeled Luis Enrique’s group into a real Champions League risk by unlocking the squad’s full attacking potential. Kvaratskhelia might assist PSG win a treble, and, in contrast to the Barcelona contingent, is admittedly solely sharing any Ballon d’Or limelight with one different teammate.
7. Kylian Mbappe
Earlier: 2
Mbappe’s Ballon d’Or bid has principally cratered over the previous month. He was one in every of our high candidates in March, when Actual Madrid had been nonetheless in treble competition and he was filling the web with regularity. Since then, Los Blancos had been eradicated from the Champions League and misplaced the Copa del Rey closing to bitter rivals Barcelona, whereas Mbappe missed time on account of damage.
Mbappe’s dwindling possibilities of particular person {hardware} relaxation nearly solely on Actual Madrid searching down Barca within the race for the La Liga title. Nevertheless, his private numbers – scoring extra targets in his debut marketing campaign with Madrid than Cristiano Ronaldo did – and alternative to win the Membership World Cup and Nations League this summer time imply he cannot be dominated out simply but.
6. Pedri
Earlier: 9
Rodri’s triumph final 12 months gave midfielders in all places renewed hope that they will disrupt the hegemony that attacking gamers have over this award. Pedri is already the midfield conductor for a Barcelona facet that is midway to a quadruple. If he retains including beautiful targets to his repertoire, just like the stunner he scored within the Copa del Rey closing, he’ll solely proceed surging.
“Since Rodri gained the Ballon d’Or, it has change into clear {that a} participant who controls the midfield and dictates the tempo of the sport can win this award,” the Spaniard stated Monday, in line with Fabrizio Romano. “It has at all times been my dream to win the Ballon d’Or, however proper now, my focus is on group trophies.”
5. Robert Lewandowski
Earlier: 7
Lewandowski’s hamstring damage got here at an inopportune time for the Polish striker and his membership. Recency bias performs a task in Ballon d’Or voting, and Lewandowski lacking essential video games down the stretch will damage his possibilities in relation to his teammates who’re additionally in competition.
However his uncooked numbers are nonetheless spectacular; Lewandowski leads Barca with 40 targets throughout all competitions this season, reaching that tally in solely 48 matches. The will to proper the perceived mistaken of 2021, when he completed second to Lionel Messi in a 12 months many thought he was extra deserving of the accolade, additionally cannot be ignored.
4. Mohamed Salah
Earlier: 3
Liverpool clinching the Premier League title means Salah most likely has the very best physique of labor of any contender proper now. He’ll additionally seemingly finish the marketing campaign with extra purpose involvements than any participant ever in a single Premier League season. Salah has been magnificent in each manner in 2024-25. However his ceiling is capped in comparison with his friends.
The Reds’ incapability to safe another titles this season clearly hurts his case, and that can solely be magnified because the Champions League rumbles on and the big-eared trophy is handed out. The Egyptian famous person is a shoo-in for the PFA Participant of the 12 months, but it surely appears sure that the Ballon d’Or is simply out of his attain.
3. Lamine Yamal
Earlier: 5
What Yamal is doing as a 17-year-old is essentially unprecedented. For context, Messi, the icon he is so usually in comparison with, performed 70 league minutes for Barcelona throughout his age-17 season, scoring one purpose. Yamal is simply shy of 4,000 minutes throughout all competitions this season, beginning 45 video games and racking up 34 purpose involvements (14 targets, 20 assists) within the course of.
The youngest participant in historical past to win the Ballon d’Or is Brazilian legend Ronaldo, who was 21 when he captured the primary of his two golden trophies in 1997. Yamal, final 12 months’s recipient of the Kopa Trophy as the sport’s greatest younger participant, has a really actual probability of smashing Ronaldo’s benchmark. The scariest half? If not this 12 months, he’ll nonetheless have a number of alternatives to interrupt the long-standing file.
2. Ousmane Dembele
Earlier: 4
If anybody’s going to cease Barcelona from including to their joint-record 12 Ballon d’Or wins as a membership – stage with Actual Madrid, in fact – Dembele is probably the most logical candidate. At this level, he is most likely the one non-Barca participant with a practical shot.
The French winger has already helped PSG seal one other home title, and he at present has a wholesome lead within the race for Ligue 1’s scoring crown. The capital-based membership can be a humongous favourite to win the Coupe de France closing in late Could. It actually all comes right down to the Champions League, the place PSG want to finish their excruciating wait and elevate the coveted trophy for the primary time.
1. Raphinha
Earlier: 1
Nothing that is occurred since our inaugural version of those rankings has modified the state of play: Raphinha stays the front-runner. If something, his case has been strengthened by Barcelona’s triumph within the Copa del Rey closing.
The previous Leeds United winger has an absurd 51 purpose involvements in 50 matches throughout all competitions this season. He is lighting up the scoreboard in probably the most high-profile matches, too, and sits simply two shy of Cristiano Ronaldo’s file for many purpose contributions in a Champions League season (21). If Barcelona add both the Champions League or La Liga title to the Copa del Rey and Supercopa they’ve already claimed, it is laborious to ascertain anybody beating the Brazilian to the distinction. In the event that they find yourself with each, profitable the quadruple, it is curtains for the remainder of the sector.
