Ballon d’Or 2025: Top five favourites as of December 2024
Rodri won the 2024 Ballon d’Or award
There are many awards which footballers achieve nowadays, but none matches the aura of France Football’s Ballon d’Or. It is this glorified award which has defined the greats of football since 1956. Besides achieving international glory for their nations, or winning the UEFA Champions League with their clubs, it has always been the dream of the greatest players to win the Ballon d’Or.
October 28, 2024, the recent Ballon d’Or award ceremony took place. This was the 68th edition of the award, and Manchester City’s Spanish defensive midfielder Rodri clinched it this time. The second and third-placed players were Real Madrid’s Vinicius Jr and Jude Bellingham.
Now, the season 2024-25 is almost halfway, but anyway, it’s too early to judge who has been the best performer this season, as the ship still has to sail for long. However, looking at the season we can still speculate who are having their best and hence would be the favourites to clinch the most prestigious individual award in the football world.
On that note, let’s have a look at the top five favourites to win the 2025 Ballon d’Or, as of December 2024, as the cycle of this award will span from August 1, 2024, to July 31st, 2025.
5. Bukayo Saka
The Arsenal No. 7 is one of the best performers in one of the most competitive leagues in the world, the English Premier League. For the Gunners he has 10 assists and five goals in 14 PL games this season and is the prime reason for the club to battle for the England top division title, fighting from the third spot. His Champions League figures have been impressive too, with two goals and an assist.
Besides these goal contributions, Saka has been instrumental in creating a number of chances with his electric speed and gifted skills.
4. Raphinha
Raphinha has been the biggest hit in the Hansi Flick era at FC Barcelona. He is often leading the side, which is currently topping LaLiga, and near the top of the table in the UEFA Champions League. He is on almost every chart of the top goal scorers and assists provider of LaLiga and UCL. Raphinha’s transformation this season has been unbelievable.
Many fans were wanting him to leave as the club was suffering from financial strains, but he has proved many wrong, being their star performer. He has been instrumental with 11 goals, eight assists in 17 league games, five goals and two assists in just five Champions League games. He has been the main factor in Barca’s big wins against top sides like Real Madrid and Bayern Munich this season. He also has three goals in the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers for Brazil this season.
Also Read: Ballon d’Or List of all winners from Stanley Matthews to Rodri
3. Harry Kane
The Tottenham Hotspur legend left the club for Bayern Munich last season but was unlucky to not get the taste of silverware yet. This season, he is leaving no stone unturned along with the club guided by Vincent Kompany. In the Champions League he has five goals and an assist in five games, in Bundesliga he has 14 goals and seven assists in just 12 games. During this period, he has scored three goals for the England National Team in the Nations League too.
It wouldn’t be surprising if he even topped the chart, just like he is doing in the top goalscorer table of the German top tier. But, the club’s overall tally in the current Champions League hasn’t been that great, pushing him down to the third spot.
2. Robert Lewandowski
The legendary Polish striker was criticized for his ineffectiveness in the FC Barcelona style of play, ever since his arrival. But now, he finally seems to be well adjusted and touching his peak just like in 2020-2022, under Hansi Flick. He has 16 goals and two assists in 16 LaLiga games, and seven goals in just five UEFA Champions League games.
He has been spectacular with the apt finishing just like he has been in the past decade, and above all it is not just scoring, but he is also trying to create chances, and this has been key to the club’s high-scoring formula. He is gelling really well with Raphinha and Lamine Yamal. If he strikes a few more, and Barca doesn’t bottle the existing leads, he can finally win the Ballon d’Or, for which he was one of the fabs in 2021 & 2022, losing by a whisker.
1. Mohamed Salah
Though thoughts about his contract renewal with Liverpool FC are hung by huge doubts, he is playing like a pro this season. Mohamed Salah has been the moving factor, or perhaps the trump card of the Arne Slot era in the club. He is having a crazy 13 goals, and eight assists in 14 Premier League matches. In the Champions League, the stats are as good as it could be, with four assists and a goal in five games.
The Egyptian right winger has been instrumental for the national team too, having two goals in three appearances in the AFCON Qualifiers during the time frame. He can be termed as the main factor behind Liverpool topping both the EPL and the UEFA Champions League. If both Liverpool and Mohamed Salah progress at the same speed, no one will come close to the Ballon d’Or 2025 trophy.
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