Ballon d'Or 2025 Power Rankings: Ousmane Dembele and Lamine Yamal Emerge as Leading Candidates for the Coveted Golden Ball After Remarkable Seasons

Rodri won’t be able to defend his Ballon d’Or title from 2024 due to a season-ending injury — so who are the top contenders to take over from the Spanish midfielder?

If you assumed the Ballon d’Or had lost its excitement following the era dominated by Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, think again. The 2024 award saw one of the tightest contests in years, with Rodri narrowly securing the prize ahead of Vinicius Jr., while Real Madrid controversially boycotted the Paris ceremony to protest their star player missing out.

Sadly for Rodri, a serious knee injury sustained in September means he cannot compete for the honor in 2025. This has opened the field wide for a range of players to stake their claim for football’s biggest individual accolade. The competition has been a rollercoaster throughout the club season and the Club World Cup.

With no major international tournaments this season, the Ballon d’Or will be decided almost entirely on club performances. This gives an opportunity for athletes who may not have shone as brightly on the international stage to shine through their club achievements.

With the nominations for the 2025 Ballon d’Or revealed on Thursday, August 7, who are the favourites to take home football’s most prestigious individual prize? Below is our final top 10 Power Rankings, highlighting the front-runners and key challengers:

10. Cole Palmer

In 2024-25: 18 goals, 14 assists. Won Club World Cup & Conference League.

It proved to be a season of two halves for Palmer, as he kicked-off the campaign in the same form in which he had finished the previous one while leading Chelsea up to as high as second in the Premier League table. His output, however, took a steep downturn following the turn of the year, which coincided with the Blues also falling away in the title race before eventually recovering to finish fourth.

Anyone who doubted Palmer, however, was made to eat their words as he produced two sparkling performances in finals to see out the season, first in the Conference League and then at the Club World Cup, where his display against PSG was truly outstanding. A second Ballon d'Or nomination will likely follow after his masterclass at MetLife.

9. Harry Kane

In 2024-25: 48 goals, 14 assists. Won Bundesliga.

It finally happened: Kane won a trophy! The England captain yet again showed his goal-scoring instincts remain at a high level despite having turned 31 as he fired Bayern Munich to the Bundesliga title, allowing him to celebrate the long-awaited first silverware of his career.

Rodri's 2024 triumph highlighted that goals alone don't necessarily win players the Ballon d'Or anymore, but Kane certainly has the all-round game that should have caught the voters' eyes, even after disappointing Champions League and Club World Cup quarter-final exits.

8. Nuno Mendes

In 2024-25: Seven goals, 12 assists, 18 clean sheets. Won Champions League, Ligue 1, Coupe de France, Trophee des Champions & UEFA Nations League.

Nuno Mendes' talent has been evident for a few years now, but the part he played in PSG's Champions League run seemed to elevate the Portugal international to new heights among fans around the world. The ex-Sporting CP star earned plaudits for the way he shut down Mohamed Salah against Liverpool in the last 16 before scoring goals in both legs of the quarter-final victory over Aston Villa.

He faced another big test in the semis up against Arsenal's Bukayo Saka, but he again rose to the occasion while also playing an important role in the only goal of the first leg for the Parisiens. Perhaps the sternest examination of them all, however, came in the Nations League final against Spain and Lamine Yamal, only for Mendes to dominate their personal battle while scoring once and setting up another.

7. Desire Doue

In 2024-25: 16 goals, 16 assists. Won Champions League, Ligue 1, Coupe de France & Trophee des Champions.

Doue wasn't always a guaranteed starter for PSG, but whenever he got on the pitch, he made sure not to waste a minute. That resulted in the summer signing from Rennes enjoying a debut campaign to remember, capped by his performances in the knockout rounds of the Champions League.

The teenager was trusted by Luis Enrique to start the majority of the games in the latter stages, and he repaid his manager's faith and then some by producing one of the great European final performances in Munich. Factor in that he provided two assists the previous week in the Coupe de France final, and Doue is already showing himself to be the man for the big occasion.

6. Kyllian MBappe

In 2024-25: 46 goals, seven assists. Won UEFA Super Cup & Intercontinental Cup.

Mbappe may not have enjoyed the start to life at Real Madrid that he or the club's fans wanted, but he still scored his fair share of goals, and looked to have taken his game to another level after scoring a stunning hat-trick against Manchester City in February that was seen by many as a true announcement of his arrival at Santiago Bernabeu.

However, things began to spin out of control for Madrid in the season's final weeks, as they surrendered their Champions League crown in meek fashion against Arsenal, lost the Copa del Rey final to Barcelona (despite some Mbappe heroics, it must be said) and the Liga title also headed from the Bernabeu and back to Barca.

It's no secret that Mbappe craves the Ballon d'Or given its standing in his home country, but he will have to make do with just the European Golden Shoe when it comes to individual accolades this time around.

5. Mohomed Salah

In 2024-25: 36 goals, 24 assists. Won Premier League.

Speculation over Salah's future was finally put to bed after he signed a new two-year contract at Liverpool, and few can argue that it was not well deserved. 'The Egyptian King' rediscovered his best form and then some under new coach Arne Slot, leading the Reds to secure the Premier League title at a canter.

However, having been the overwhelming favourite for most of the Ballon d'Or campaign, Salah's hopes were damaged by Liverpool's shock last-16 elimination in the Champions League, and his own no-show in the Carabao Cup final defeat to Newcastle a few days later. The 33-year-old could still yet become Africa's first Golden Ball winner since 1995, but the odds on him doing so in 2025 are slim at best.

4. Raphinha

In 2024-25: 39 goals, 25 assists. Won La Liga, Copa del Rey & Supercopa de Espana.

There were those who argued against it early on, but it was clear for much of the campaign that Raphinha was the most decisive of Barcelona's electric front-three, and his raw goal and assist numbers certainly help back that up. The ex-Leeds United winger would likely have been sold last summer if Barca had managed to complete a deal to sign Nico Williams, but the Brazilian shrugged that off to lead the Blaugrana to a domestic treble.

There is no doubt that Raphinha is playing the best football of his career right now - but will that be enough to win him the Ballon d'Or? Probably not.

3. Vitinha

In 2024-25: Eight goals, eight assists. Won Champions League, Ligue 1, Coupe de France, Trophee des Champions & UEFA Nations League.

After being something of a surprise inclusion on last year's Ballon d'Or shortlist, it would now be a shock if Vitinha were to miss out on a place within the top five in 2025 after a masterful campaign in PSG's midfield.

The ex-Wolves loanee was the beating heart of Luis Enrique's all-conquering side, and earned Xavi comparisons as the French giants completed their treble by winning the Champions League. He then backed that up with some impressive displays as Portugal won the Nations League in June and during PSG's run to the Club World Cup final.

2. Lamine Yamal

In 2024-25: 21 goals, 26 assists. Won La Liga, Copa del Rey & Supercopa de Espana.

No player has won the Ballon d'Or before their 21st birthday in the almost-70 years of the award, but right now it would be a shock if Yamal didn't break that record given he has another three seasons to get there! There is presently no greater talent in the game than the Barcelona teenager, who, as he showed in 2024-25, is only going to get better and better.

He was outscored by two of his team-mates in Catalunya, but plenty of La Liga watchers will tell you that the 18-year-old was the most impressive attacking player in Spain. Coupled with his Champions League showings, which reached outrageous new heights against Inter in the semi-finals, he is now the top Golden Ball candidate within the Barca dressing room.

1. Ousmane Dembele

In 2024-25: 37 goals, 16 assists. Won Champions League, Ligue 1, Coupe de France & Trophee des Champions.

Was this the season where the real Dembele finally arrived?! Ever since he left Borussia Dortmund for Barcelona, the France winger has frustrated fans more than he's delighted them, despite clearly being a player of rare ability. Since the turn of the year, though, Dembele found a groove at PSG, as his performances helped the French champions continue their stranglehold of Ligue 1.

Their dreams of finally winning the Champions League also came true thanks, in part, to Dembele's strikes at Anfield and the Emirates in the knockouts, as well as his two assists in the final. No player has had a more productive 2025 from either an individual or team perspective, and that is why he should now be considered the Ballon d'Or-elect, even after he failed to back up the goals he scored in the Club World Cup quarters and semis in the final itself.