Ballon d'Or 2025: the five favourites 🏆 | OneFootball

Thursday afternoon, the famous list of 30 contenders for the Ballon d'Or was formalized. While waiting for the verdict on September 22 at the Théâtre du Châtelet, let's focus on the favorites.

Achraf Hakimi

Undoubtedly, he was the best player in his position this season. As offensively impactful as ever, Hakimi has made significant progress defensively. He is one of the key contributors to PSG's dominance on both the national and continental stages. Is it enough to earn him a spot on the Ballon d'Or podium?

Lamine Yamal

Before the Nations League, Yamal seemed to suggest that the race for the Ballon d'Or was between him and Ousmane Dembélé. The Spanish press capitalized on this statement to launch the "Yamal Balón de Oro" campaign. At 18, Yamal can already boast of being a serious contender for the BO, but Barça's elimination in the Champions League semi-final and the lost final in the Nations League position him as an outsider.

Vitinha

For the past two years, he has continually evolved. A true pivot of the best team of the season, he is more than ever a global reference in his position. Furthermore, he played a significant role in Portugal's success in the Nations League, which only strengthens his position in a potential fight for the Ballon d'Or.

Raphinha

A few months before PSG's triumph in the Champions League, Raphinha was still cited as the frontrunner for the Ballon d'Or. Raphinha had the best season of his career and is now a cornerstone of the Catalan project. Even if he doesn't win, he should logically finish on the podium for the 2025 BO.

Ousmane Dembélé

He is the clear favorite to win this 69th Ballon d'Or! Dembélé has the strongest case to claim the award: he has established himself as the best player of the best team in Europe, having won the most prestigious club trophy: the Champions League.

The only downside: the crushing defeat in the Club World Cup final (0-3 against Chelsea). It remains to be seen if the voters will "penalize" this setback (in favor of a Barcelona player?).

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇫🇷 here.

📸 Luke Hales - 2025 Getty Images