Breaking down the favourites for the Ballon D'or
by Thobelani Moyo | by Cydias Aujard
Who Are The Standout Nominees For The Ballon D’or?
France Football has named its five favourite contenders for the Ballon d'Or and each of them has either played an important role or has contributed to their team's success this season.
The five footballers included are Ousmane Dembele, Lamine Yamal, Raphinha, Lautaro Martínez and Mohamed Salah. Only one can come out on top and secure this season's individual award.
However, there are criteria to be considered when picking the best-of-the-best and France Football has based this on individual performance, trophies collected and fair play on the field. We have dived deeper into those criteria to determine the one worthy of being crowned a Ballon d'Or winner.
Paris Saint-Germain: Ousmane Dembele (The Redemption Arc)
Individual Performance:
Ousmane Dembele was once considered an inconsistent player during his six-year stint with Barcelona. Since joining Paris Saint-Germain in 2024, he has turned into a force to be reckoned with.
The 28-year-old has been playing the role of a false nine for PSG perfectly. He ended the Ligue 1 season with 21 goals and 6 assists from 29 appearances.
He also scored a very important goal against Arsenal in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League semi-final. This gave the French giants a crucial advantage in the return leg which they used to their advantage to secure a place in the final for the first time in 2020.
Trophies won:
Dembele was the one who guided Paris Saint-Germain to its 13th Ligue 1 title. However, we are not turning a blind eye to the other players' contribution, as they too played an important role.
There is no writing off a treble too for the Frenchman as his team is in the Coupe de France and UEFA Champions League finals. This is a very great opportunity for him to pick up these titles and strengthen his Ballon d’Or case.
Fair play and class:
Dembele is not an aggressive player. He has been booked twice this season and has never received a straight red card in his 3,110 minutes of playing time. That goes to show he is a very calm and disciplined player.
However, there have been some instances of frustration when it comes to being substituted and a little bit of theaters here and there.
Barcelona: Lamine Yamal (The Teenage Prodigy)
Individual Performance
Lamine Yamal, at just 17 years old, has been breaking and setting new records. In fact, he is a star player for Barcelona and head coach Hansi Flick who has almost utilized him in every match. Without him the team often loses its rhythm at times.
He is a product of La Masia Academy and has become a key player for Barcelona and the national team of Spain. Not even at his peak, he has been directly involved in 43 goal involvements for Barcelona. That number adds up to 18 goals and 25 assists.
Trophies won:
Yamal has a domestic treble to his name. He won the Copa del Rey, La Liga and the Supercopa de Espana.
Barcelona was able to lift the La Liga trophy on Thursday thanks to his stunning strike against Espanyol which led to a convincing 2-0 win.
However, his failure to win Europe's most prestigious competition—UEFA Champions League, has reduced his chances of winning the individual award. At this point, he can be considered a wild card, but it won't be surprising to see the youngster come out on top because of the fan base behind him.
Fair play and class:
Yamal has not been involved in any on-field theatrics, such as diving intentionally to get a foul or playacting. Neither has he shown aggressiveness after being crowded, indicating signs of calmness and composure.
He also shows sportsmanship in his matches, checking up on fallen opponents after making a foul. In his 54 appearances this season, he has been booked three times but has never been sent off from a match.
Barcelona: Raphinha (The Silent Architect)
Individual Performance:
Raphinha is another Ballon d'Or candidate from a Barcelona t-shirt. One of the very best players in the world, the Brazilian international has been operating under the radar but his presence has been felt throughout this season.
In La Liga, he was directly involved in 27 goal involvements in 35 appearances for the club. The numbers could have been ridiculously high if it weren't for some minor injuries that took him off track.
He was also a key player for Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League . He finished as the joint-top goalscorer with 13 goals in 14 matches and had the most assists in the competition (8).
Trophies won:
Raphinha also secured a domestic treble just like his fellow teammate Lamine Yamal. That means his case is also similar to that of Yamal. Barcelona's exit in the UEFA Champions League semi-final could negatively affect its chances of winning the Ballon d'Or this season.
Fair play and class:
Raphinha has shown great sportsmanship and humility towards his teammates and opponents. His sportsmanship was evident in Barcelona's 4-3 win over Real Madrid in the El Clásico on May 11, where he stated that he did not deserve the man of the match award because of his poor performance on the field.
There have been limited signs of outbursts and anger when being substituted, but other than that, he is a very supportive player when it comes to fellow teammates.
Inter Milan: Lautaro Martinez (The Clutch Captain)
Individual performance:
Lautaro Martinez has not scored a lot of goals for Inter Milan this season. However, don't mistake the Argentine for an unimportant player. Head coach Simone Inzaghi saw some leadership qualities in Martinez and decided to hand him the captain's armband.
Since then, the team has played with fluidity and discipline, leading to success in the UEFA Champions League, which sees them in the final.
He stepped up in big matches when his teammates needed him the most. The 27-year-old scored some important goals in the UEFA Champions League, especially in the quarter-finals when he scored in both legs against Bayern Munich to lead his team to the semi-finals.
He did not stop there, as his opening goal in the second leg of the semi-final against Barcelona was equally important as the prior ones. This saw his team use this advantage to secure a spot in the final.
Trophies won:
Martinez has done everything in his power to make sure his club ends the season with silverware. So far, his efforts have been to no avail.
Nerazzurri were dumped out of Coppa Italia, but he rarely played an important role in that competition because of injury. There is a possibility that the club might also be stripped of their Serie A title come this Friday.
Despite this, Martinez remains Inter Milan's engine of success, and winning the UEFA Champions League final on Wednesday, May 31, could boost his chances of securing the Ballon d'Or.
Fair play and class:
Lautaro Martinez has portrayed himself as a respectable leader for Inter Milan this season. He is very big on teamwork and inspiring his teammates.
He has shown some mental attributes, such as keeping his composure when under a lot of pressure to concentrate.
In his 48 appearances for the club this season, he has received three yellow cards. This shows that he is rarely a player who gets into on-field protests rather than keeping his head low.
Liverpool: Mohamed Salah (The Ageless Egyptian King)
Individual performance:
Mohamed Salah is having a great season, if not a breakthrough, in performance at Anfield under the tutelage of Dutch coach Arne Slot.
The Egyptian international has racked up 28 goals and provided 18 assists in the 2024-25 English Premier League season.
Trophies won:
The Egyptian king has won the English Premier League title with Liverpool this season, but his early exit in the UEFA Champions League could weaken his case.
Fair play and class:
Salah has not been involved in any violent confrontations on the field this season, with his teammates describing him as a player with a positive attitude.
Young and growing talent look up to Salah as their role model because of his consistency and hard work ethic. In 51 appearances for Liverpool this season, he has only been booked once.
Final Verdict:
Ousmane Dembélé has a better chance at winning the prestigious individual award. The fact that he has won the Ligue 1 title and is about to secure the Coupe de France and the UEFA Champions League strengthens his case.
However, there is no ignoring the possibility of him being written off despite achieving both domestic and European success because of the teenage sensation Lamine Yamal, who at his age is having a historic season and could be backed by a wide range of Ballon d'Or jurors for his individual performance.
Other contenders such as Lautaro Martinez, Raphinha and Mohamed Salah, who have turned the stage ablaze with their terrific performances, also make a strong case in this thrilling Ballon d'Or race.
