Who will win the Ballon d’Or trophy in 2025? Will it be one of Barcelona’s La Liga champions?
PSG might have their name on the Champions League trophy, but will La Liga champions Barcelona still be recognised for having the world’s best players?
Here are the top 10 favourites for the award, according to the bookmakers…
Favourites to win the 2025 Ballon d’Or
=8) Desire Doue (PSG)
He’s just 19 and has just one cap for France but he has come of age in this Champions League campaign.
8=) Pedri (Barcelona)
“Nobody deserves the Ballon D’Or more than Pedri, everyone knows what kind of a player he is,” says Gavi. But surely if it’s a Barcelona player, it’ll be one of their stellar attacking players…
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8=) Achraf Hakimi (PSG)
The actual man of the match in the second leg of the Champions League semi-final win over Arsenal, whatever Mikel Arteta wanted you to believe. Undoubtedly amusing if Trent moves to Real Madrid to win a Ballon d’Or and Hakimi beats him to the punch as the world’s actual best right-back.
6=) Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (PSG)
Brilliant since his January move from Napoli, helping the French club cruise to another league title but more importantly stay on track for that long-craved Champions League crown. He could end the season with three major titles.
6=) Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)
There had been a lot of nonsense talk about Salah having the Ballon in the bag, but winning the Premier League was never likely to be enough. Failing to score in two legs v PSG basically ended his chances.
It’s fair to say that the PFA award will be easier to claim…
👉 READ MORE: Mo Salah: GOAT Premier League winger and Ballon d’Or contender is Liverpool’s third-top scorer ever
5) Lautaro Martinez (Inter)
Could he become the first Serie A winner since Kaka in 2007? It would be hard to argue with a Champions League/league double.
4) Raphinha (Barcelona)
Having a brilliant season for a Barcelona side that have won La Liga, the Copa del Rey and the Spanish Super Cup in Hansi Flick’s first season. No Champions League could be crucial, though.
It’ll be worth it just to see him going around the auditorium on his knees, at the end of the day.
3) Gianluigi Donnarumma (PSG)
Could he become the first goalkeeper to win the Ballon d’Or since Lev Yashin. It becomes a real possibility if he is once again the hero in the Champions League final.
2) Lamine Yamal (Barcelona)
Rodri sees a Ballon d’Or win in the 17-year-old Barcelona star’s future. Seven-f***ing-teen, by the way. The Kopa Trophy winner is already world class.
He was brilliant against Inter in the Champions League semi-final first leg and again in the second leg.
Barca have secured a league and cup double, but will that be enough without the Champions League? They’re not even playing in the Club World Cup, FFS.
1) Ousmane Dembele (PSG)
We were waiting for the bookies to notice that nobody has scored more goals than Dembele in 2025 and could do what Neymar, Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe failed to do: Win the Champions League with PSG.
A goal in the semi-final at Arsenal will help. Now all he needs to do is star in the Champions League final v Inter.
