Dembele loses his position on behalf of the 3 stars of Barcelona
The Ballon d’Or era long dominated by Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo finally seems to have drawn to a close. In 2024, Manchester City midfielder Rodri took home the prestigious award, finishing ahead of Real Madrid duo Vinicius Jr and Jude Bellingham. With standout performances for both club and country — and with Messi and Ronaldo now playing outside of Europe — Rodri’s triumph feels like the official beginning of a new chapter in football.
While the Spaniard is a deserving winner this year, an ACL injury suffered early in the 2024/25 season makes it highly unlikely he’ll be able to defend his title. Unless he stages a remarkable comeback and puts in some extraordinary displays, the 2025 Ballon d’Or looks set to go to a new name.
Traditionally, the award has been based on performances over the calendar year. However, for just the third time in Ballon d’Or history, voting this time will be based on the football season. With that in mind, we’ve put together and ranked 20 potential contenders for the 2025 Ballon d’Or, based on how they’ve performed heading into October’s ceremony.
Ranking factors
- Goals scored
- Assists
- Clean sheets (if defensive-minded)
- Trophies won/challenged for (expected to)
- Big moments in the 2024/25 season
