Every footballer, particularly an attacker, dreams of bagging the Ballon d’Or award. The prize, given away by the French football magazine France Football, rewards the best footballer in the world during a particular year and, as a result, is coveted by every player who takes to the pitch.
This award was dominated by Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo – greats of the game during their prime – but was won by Manchester City midfielder Rodri in 2024. This time around, too, there are a lot of contenders. The award will also see a new winner this time as Rodri has been injured and will not be able to defend his crown.
🚨REMINDER!🚨
Rodri won the #BallonDor 🐐🔥 pic.twitter.com/sUkqsuGjaA
— City Chief (@City_Chief) December 24, 2024
With club football taking a break due to an international break, what better time than now than to speculate upon who could end up winning the prize this year? In this listicle, we take a look at the top ten contenders for the Ballon d’Or right now:
10. Serhou Guirassy (Borussia Dortmund)
Borussia Dortmund attacker Serhou Guirassy comes tenth on our list of Ballon d’Or contenders this year. He is currently the sixth-highest goalscorer in the Bundesliga with 14 strikes, although he has found the back of the net on 24 occasions overall.
What is important to note here is that the Guinea international has scored ten goals in the UEFA Champions League, and will continue to play a vital role in his team’s challenge for top honours in the continental competition.
9. Mateo Retegui (Atalanta)
Mateo Retegui of Atalanta is currently the leading goalscorer of the Serie A with 22 strikes, and comes ninth on our list. The 25-year-old has shown why he is so highly rated in Italy with his receiving, passing and shooting skills. Retegui has also demonstrated quite reasonably why he can comfortably play with his back towards the goal. Overall, he has scored 25 goals this season and bagged three assists.
Il vostro #POTM di febbraio in azione 🎬🙌
Your February POTM on screen! 🍿⚽#GoAtalantaGo ⚫🔵 | @mateoretegui @Acqua_Lete pic.twitter.com/dmh95iiSOM
— Atalanta B.C. (@Atalanta_BC) March 14, 2025
8. Lamine Yamal (Barcelona)
Barcelona starlet Lamine Yamal, who made heads turn in the UEFA European Championships 2024, which Spain won, comes eighth on our list. Yamal is one of the most highly-rated youngsters in the world and has constantly shown his class with the ball at his feet.
The 17-year-old has scored 13 goals and bagged 16 assists so far this season, but his mere presence on the wings has made him a big threat to reckon with.
7. Ousmane Dembele (Paris Saint-Germain)
Ousmane Dembele seems to have reinvented himself this season under Paris Saint-Germain manager Luis Enrique and comes seventh on our list of potential Ballon d’Or winners. He is currently the leading goalscorer in the Ligue 1 with 21 strikes, and he has found the back of the net overall on 30 occasions in 37 matches across all competitions.
6. Robert Lewandowski (Barcelona)
The experienced Robert Lewandowski comes sixth on our list of potential Ballon d’Or winners for 2025. He is currently the leading goalscorer of La Liga with 22 strikes, and is closely shadowed by Kylian Mbappe of Real Madrid, who has 20.
Lewandowski has revitalised Barca’s challenge for the league title this season, and has netted 35 times in 40 matches in total in all competitions.
Robert Lewandowski leads the way in LaLiga ⚽🔝 pic.twitter.com/XCKRYtpjbv
— OneFootball (@OneFootball) March 19, 2025
5. Kylian Mbappé (Real Madrid)
Real Madrid striker Kylian Mbappé, who made the high-profile move to the Spanish capital from Paris Saint-Germain in the 2024 summer transfer window, is one of the most exciting young players in the world currently. He is a proper old-fashioned attacker who does not shy away from taking defenders on in one-on-one situations. Mbappé has scored 31 goals in 44 matches across all competitions already.
4. Erling Haaland (Manchester City)
Manchester City’s Erling Haaland, one of the best strikers in the world, comes fourth on our list of potential Ballon d’Or winners this year. Haaland is an excellent target man who can be blindly trusted upon in the final third.
The Norwegian has already scored 29 goals in 39 appearances across all competitions this season, and looks set for more. He is currently the second highest-goalscorer in the Premier League, with 21 strikes.
3. Raphinha (Barcelona)
Barcelona’s Raphinha has taken the UEFA Champions League by storm this season, and is currently its leading goalscorer (11). He is going through an excellent run of form, and has found the back of the net on 27 occasions across all competitions this season.
To go with this, the former Leeds winger has also bagged 18 assists, which is simply phenomenal, and outlines how much manager Hansi Flick values him.
Raphinha 🇧🇷🌟️
Most goals scored by a Brazilian in a #UCL campaign 👏 pic.twitter.com/lIDKkfG2Hr
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) March 14, 2025
2. Harry Kane (Bayern Munich)
Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane comes second on this list of possible contenders for the award this year. The former Tottenham Hotspur man is the leading goalscorer in the Bundesliga this season (21) and the second-highest goalscorer in the UEFA Champions League (10), behind Barcelona’s Raphinha. Bayern are also on course to win the Bundesliga this season although they are out of the Champions League.
1. Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)
It goes without saying that Mohamed Salah is the prime contender for winning the Ballon d’Or this year. He has been in prime form this season, having netted 32 goals in 43 matches already, to go with 22 assists.
The Egyptian maestro has been vital for Liverpool’s dominance in the Premier League, and although they have been knocked out of the FA Cup and UEFA Champions League (in addition to losing the EFL Cup final recently), Salah’s importance to Arne Slot’s team cannot be neglected.
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