Ballon d'Or Power Rankings: March 2025
The Ballon d'Or is a prestigious award annually presented by French magazine France Football to honor the best player in the world. A new winner is set to be crowned after 2024 Ballon d'Or winner Rodri suffered a devastating ACL injury at the start of the season.
The 2024-25 season is approaching the final third with numerous superstars across Europe aiming to end the campaign on a high note. With major international tournaments not part of the equation this year, the 2025 Ballon d'Or victor will be solely decided by their club performances.
Without further ado, let's take a look at the current top five favorites to win this year's Golden Ball (March 2025):
#5 Lamine Yamal (Spain/Barcelona)
Lamine Yamal has excelled for Barcelona this season and has arguably been their more impressive star, dazzling with his ability on the ball. The 17-year-old wonderkid has also added goals to his game compared to last season, garnering 13 goals and 17 assists in 39 appearances across all competitions.
After having already won the Supercopa de Espana earlier this season, if Barcelona were to win more silverware, it would come as no surprise to see Yamal claim the Golden Ball.
#4 Kylian Mbappe (France/Real Madrid)
Kylian Mbappe had a difficult start to his Real Madrid tenure following his high-profile summer move from Paris Saint-Germain (PSG). However, the 26-year-old attacker has exploded into life in recent months, scoring 30 goals and providing four assists in 43 appearances across all competitions.
The Frenchman recently bagged an exceptional hat-trick in the UEFA Champions League to knock Manchester City out of the competition. After guiding Real Madrid to the UEFA Super Cup and Intercontinental Cup, Mbappe's Ballon d'Or hopes would be further boosted by winning the LaLiga title or Champions League.
#3 Ousmane Dembele (France/PSG)
Not many fans expected Ousmane Dembele to be competing for the 2025 Ballon d'Or following an average first half of the season. However, Luis Enrique's decision to deploy the 27-year-old as a false nine has paid dividends, with the latter currently one of the most in-form stars in Europe. PSG are also the favorites to win the Ligue 1 title this season.
Dembele has netted 30 goals and registered six assists in 37 appearances across all competitions for PSG this season, helping them win the Trophee des Champions. With Dembele playing a pivotal role in knocking Liverpool out of the Champions League, he could be a dark horse to win the Ballon d'Or if PSG find success in Europe.
#2 Mohamed Salah (Egypt/Liverpool)
Liverpool superstar Mohamed Salah has been the odds-on favorite to win the Ballon d'Or this year, following his exceptional season under Arne Slot. The Egyptian King has bagged 32 goals and 22 assists in 43 appearances across all competitions, inspiring the Reds to a probable Premier League title.
However, the 32-year-old's chances for the Golden Ball took a massive blow following his poor performance during Liverpool's shock loss against PSG in the Champions League Round of 16. Salah was also unable to make an impact against Newcastle, as the Reds lost 2-1 in the EFL Cup final.
While Salah remains a strong contender to win the prestigious award, it would require an exceptional effort to edge past his competitors.
#1 Raphinha (Brazil/Barcelona)
Raphinha has been the most consistent of Barcelona's front three and is arguably playing some of the best football of his career. With the Blaugrana in a good position to win the treble, the Brazilian is currently the favorite to win the Ballon d'Or.
Raphinha has accumulated 27 goals and 20 assists in 42 appearances across all competitions for Barcelona this season, guiding them to the Supercopa de Espana.
