The acclaimed trophy under the name of the Ballon D’Or is awarded on a yearly basis to the best football player in the entire world by France Football. For many decades, the trophy has been attributed to the greatest players of all time and is the most impressive individual achievement in world football. Amongst this list are the highest performers from the past season and with only the first place being deserving of the sought-after trophy. But before the list begins, a quick list of Honorable Mentions who were on the cusp of being included on the exclusive list awaits below.

Honorable Mentions

• Willian Pacho – Willian Pacho was a defensive leader and treble winning central defender who became the first Ecuadorian to win the UEFA Champions League in the 24/25 season. Being a breakout star and key player in a plethora of important wins for Paris Saint Germain on the path to the treble and Club World Cup Final, he was affluent in their notably defensive performances.

• Gianluigi Donnarumma – The starting goalkeeper in the treble-winning Paris Saint Germain side, with stellar performances in crucial matches for the side such as against Liverpool in the Champions League, Donnarumma proved to be a world class keeper that walks into any side across the globe. Alongside a resilient backline, Donnarumma played a key role in shutouts of various world-class opposition across all competitions.

• Declan Rice – Declan Rice was a star player in Arsenal’s run to the Champions League Semifinals and runners-up finish in the Premier League. Alongside scoring a crucial brace against Real Madrid in the 1st leg of the Champions League quarterfinals, his versatility in midfield saw Arsenal dominant in midfield battles with multiple crucial goal contributions coming throughout the season. With various injuries throughout the season for Arsenal, he remained fit and consistent in times of uncertainty and struggle.

• Vitinha – The Portuguese midfielder had a powerful presence in the midfield of treble-winning PSG, running the show in various pivotal games in their historic victories. His contributions went beyond goal contributions, but extended to a control of the game and its intensity. With the partnerships formed for club and country, he was able to dictate the tempo in various high level matches, ending up with a cornucopia of silverware at the end of the 24/25 campaign to explain his influence in world football.

• João Neves – Another Portuguese star overflowing in accolades, both internationally and on the club level. At a young age, Neves established himself as a crucial player in the treble winning PSG side and displayed versatility in various positions throughout the campaign. Despite a short stature and young age, he is a leader and creative in each side he competes in, proving to be one to watch for the future alongside the present.

• Harry Kane – Harry Kane finished the Bundesliga as Champion for the first time ever, of anything for that matter, scoring 41 goals across all competitions with 12 assists. The Englishman’s’ contributions were pivotal to his first ever major trophy and quarterfinal runs in various competitions such as the Champions League and Club World Cup. The England Internationals’ goalscoring remained prominent, as for his nation, he scored in all of their last 5 games, and having 7 goals since the season began in just 10 matches.

• Michael Olise – Despite the pressure of being the significant signing of the season for Bayern Munich, the Frenchman hit the ground running, with him already scoring AND assisting 20 times for the German champions across all competitions. The outstanding performances were due in part to a fluid attacking system at Bayern Munich that allowed himself, Harry Kane, Musiala and other attacking players to rip apart the defense in cold, calculated and effective attacking motions. He ended the Bundesliga campaign with the most assists and the 2nd most goals, only behind fellow teammate Harry Kane and tied with Jamal Musiala. His impressive goal contribution tally and accolades from across the season merit him a place amongst the honorable mentions.

• Pedri – Pedri was the most talented and effective midfielder in the dynamic Barcelona team that charged to the Champions League semifinals. Each action enacted by the Spanish international directed the flow of the game. His key goal contributions such as in the Supercopa de España against Real Madrid and an assist in the Nations League final against Portugal where they eventually lost on penalties. Beyond G/A, Pedri’s vision for the pass and ability to create chances from thin air puts him firmly in the conversation for best midfielder on planet Earth.

• David Raya – Whilst the reader may scoff at first glance, David Raya had an outstanding campaign with Arsenal, winning the Premier League Golden Glove jointly with Matz Sels of Nottingham Forest, having the least goals conceded per 90, most clean sheets (Golden Glove), equaling Champions League clean sheets with Donnarumma in 2nd only behind Yann Sommer of Inter Milan. He boasted the second highest save percentage in the UCL behind Emiliano Martinez and had the lowest goals conceded per 90 for Arsenal, alongside having the number of most Goals Prevented at 5.9, with the nearest behind being Thibaut Courtois at 3.7. Truly an underrated and world class campaign by the Spaniard goalkeeper in another season inching towards glory for the gunners.

• Yann Sommer – Despite an overarching failure of a campaign for Inter Milan, the Italian side went deep in each competition they competed in, only falling short in the Champions League final to PSG, albeit 5-0, and were runners up in the Serie A. The swiss international had the highest amount of clean sheets in the Champions League and made 14 saves in the semi-final tie against Barcelona alone. But a season of ‘almosts’ doesn’t warrant him a place in the top 10 despite his standout performances across the campaign.

10. Fabian Ruiz

Fabian Ruiz was one of the acclaimed treble winners of Paris Saint-Germain in the 24/25 campaign. But his campaign is often overlooked due to the roster of flashy wing players and stalwart defensive players. After a successful campaign in the 2024 Euro in Germany, Fabian Ruiz was paired up with a star-studded midfield of Portuguese talents in which he excelled throughout the season. Over all competitions, he accumulated a neat balance of 8 goals and 11 assists, being a tempo-setter and underrated heartbeat in a team of hard workers. This count of goal contributions was the highest out of any midfielder in the PSG team that went on to win the treble. It is easy to want to select a player that is more attacking minded and on the scoresheet weekly, but Fabian Ruiz’s goal contributions are often in moments of importance such as in the knockouts of the UEFA Champions League and FIFA Club World Cup, with 8 out of his 10 goal contributions coming in the knockout stages of each competition respectively. His positional versatility allows him to play a variety of roles in the midfield, making him a starter in both a competitive PSG team and Spain national team. Being the swiss army of midfielders, Fabian Ruiz makes himself un-droppable in every eleven he encounters.

9. Nuno Mendes

Nuno Mendes is largely regarded as the best left back in world football, and for good reason. His record against right sided attackers in the highest level of football is impressive, though not impeccable. Similarly to a large percentage of the PSG squad that won the treble, his season started off shakily in the UEFA Champions League, specifically in the group stage with a winless stretch against Arsenal, PSV Eindhoven, Atlético Madrid, and Bayern Munich. His goal, however, in their 3-0 win over RB Salzburg was one of four he would score on their path to lifting the Champions League in Munich. His prowess of goal contributions was extremely notable in Portugal’s path to Nations League victory where he found a goal contribution in 7 of the 10 games with one of which being the first goal for Portugal in the final, and his first for his nation, in where he would play a big part for the champions. All of these contributions, mind you, coming from the left defensive position, one not normally known for churning out goal contributions on a consistent level. Beyond goalscoring and assists, Nuno Mendes put on a plethora impressive defensive performances against the likes of Mohamed Salah and Lamine Yamal. His iconic forward runs up and down the left wing alongside the likes of Kvicha Kvaratskhelia and Bradley Barcola were crucial in the successes PSG came across in the 24/25 season. It must be noted, however, that his Club World Cup campaign was incredibly underwhelming, with no goal contributions to speak of and a number of mistakes in the final that resulted in a 3-0 win for Chelsea FC which could be attributed to the absence of key defensive partner, Willian Pacho, who was suspended.

8. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia

A dual champion is hard to come across, but Khvicha Kvaratskhelia accomplished just that in a season where he demonstrated what he was capable of on the worlds’ stage. When he left title-pursuing Napoli in the January transfer window, he’d already accumulated 8 goal contributions despite missing a multitude of games through injury. He hit the ground running, banging in goals and providing assists from the first game in the league. Across both teams he ended up with 24 goal contributions and was influential in their demolition jobs of the likes of Real Madrid and Inter Milan. His ability to take on a man 1-on-1, dribble down the wing plus cutting inside and having an ambitious shot on goal makes him one of the worlds most coveted wing players. Kvaratskhelia was part of a uniquely fluid front three for PSG’s treble-winning side, allowing the striker to drift wide and shift himself centrally to diversify play and create chances and openings in the back line. This unique system was one of many reasons why PSG was so dominant in the 24/25 campaign. It should also be stated that his addition in the January transfer window was at the same time that PSG completely changed gears in quality in European competition, perhaps showing just how crucial and pivotal his role was in the eventual treble winning side. His transfer to Paris Saint Germain could very well go down as one of the best January transfers of all time.

7. Robert Lewandowski

Robert Lewandowski is aging like fine wine. As a striker, the main thing people look at to determine quality is goal contributions and Lewandowski managed to accumulate a whopping 42 goals and 3 assists across all competitions despite being 36. His ability to hold up play, make forward runs, and finish from tight angles makes him, still, one of the best attackers in world football. It always helps to have to star wingers in Lamine Yamal and Raphinha providing service alongside a world class midfield, but it must be noted that Lewandowski’s goalscoring record is impressive regardless of how FC Barcelona or his native Poland line up. With Barcelona he ended up becoming Spanish champions and winners in the final against Real Madrid in both the Spanish Supercopa and Copa Del Rey, completing a domestic treble. He was a leader in Barcelona’s run to the semi-finals of the Champions League and surpassed the 100 goal mark for Barcelona despite only joining two seasons prior. His campaign was less spoken of as the season went on, partly due to injury, but that only makes his goal-scoring accolades more impressive, and warrant him a spot on this coveted list.

6. Achraf Hakimi

It is evident that Achraf Hakimi is, in terms of form and quality, the best fullback in world football. The pure amount of unadulterated success he achieved in the 24/25 campaign alongside the statistics he accumulated including 11 goals and 16 assists from the fullback position, an incredible metric, not to mention the amount of silverware he managed to gather with PSG’s historic side. The Moroccan is incredibly gifted in terms of pace and explosiveness but his work rate and attacking tendencies conglomerate to create a unique player who drives a large slice of the attacking AND defensive happenings for Paris Saint-Germain, especially along the righthand side. He has managed to keep clean sheets against giants such as Real Madrid, Liverpool, Inter Milan and so on but also managed to find the back of the net frequently as well. It’s easy to want a prefer an attacking player with a goal/assist ratio of that like a forward such as Lewandowski or Kvaratskhelia, but the longterm and consistent impact of Hakimi throughout the trailblazing PSG side alongside the variety of contributions he offers make him a top 6 Ballon D’Or contender.

5. Kylian Mbappé

Kylian Mbappé won the Golden Boot for the 24/25 season sealing himself one of the best individual accolades one can achieve behind the Ballon D’Or itself. His season consisted of fantastic performances in crucial matches such as hat tricks against Manchester City and Barcelona, even if he lost against the latter. He ultimately won NO silverware at Real Madrid, normally a very successful club in terms of silverware. His debut season at Real Madrid saw him score a whopping 44 goals, also gathering 5 assists across all competitions. Perhaps had he won a significant trophy, his position on this list would be higher, but the undeniable nature of his trophyless debut season definitely weighs down on his proposal for the Ballon D’Or. The Frenchman also showed out in the Nations League final stages for France where he found a goal and an assist against both Spain and Germany. Ultimately his sheer undeniably impressive solo performances warrant him a spot in the top 5, but with a similar campaign married with a major trophy could put him close to the trophy in the future.

4. Mohamed Salah

Mohamed Salah seems to be an evergreen footballer, smashing in goals, whipping in beautifully timed assists and winning the most premium of trophies for Liverpool football club. Despite his wonderful campaigns throughout his time at Liverpool, his pièce de résistance was undeniably the most recent campaign in which he dominated the league, holding each club’s defense in a chokehold. His G/A was the most in all of Europe’s top 5 leagues, with a jawdropping 34 goals and 23 assists, although it must be noted 11 of those goals were from the penalty spot, leading to only 23 goals in open play, still impressive for a winger it must be stated. His trophy cabinet was expanded with a second premier league victory while at Liverpool. Unfortunately for him, though, it was the only successful run in major competition, as Liverpool were eliminated in the Round of 16 of the Champions League on penalties to PSG, lost in the Carabao Cup final to Newcastle, and a shocking exit against Plymouth Argyle, who were relegated from the English 2nd Division to the 3rd, in the FA Cup. The goal tally and impressive assist record puts him amongst some of the most talented forwards in world football, but his lack of success in various European and domestic competitions hinders his proposal for the Ballon D’Or.

3. Lamine Yamal

It is now common knowledge that Lamine Yamal is the best teenager of all time, if you disagree then you simply must have an agenda against him. His quality and performances at the most pivotal of matches for club and country have been amongst the best in world football, not just against his peers (age-wise) in football. Record breaking is the new norm for Lamine Yamal, who became the youngest player to score in El Clasico and went on to gather 39 goals and assists across all competitions. Mind you, Lamine Yamal has literally just turned 18, meaning he has the potential to play for up to two decades more at the level he has played this season. His goals have come in moments of the highest stakes: Champions League semifinals, Supercopa de España final, a brace in the Nations League semifinals just to name a few. Pressure seems to be an enhancer of his talent rather than a suppresser, being a key part to the domestic treble winning side of Barcelona. With age comes wisdom and his finishing has gotten better from the campaign before, so if he continues on this record breaking path, Lamine Yamal could establish himself as one of (if not the) best of all time when all is said and done.

2. Raphinha

Some people have a bias towards a flashy player with crazy but fleeting moments and spells of form throughout the season which can inflate the quality of a player massively, overshadowing those who work in the darkness. That is what has happened to Raphinha. Raphinha this season has become the top scorer and top assister in the champions league, with 13 goals and 8 assists, winning LaLiga player of the season with having the third most goal contributions behind strikers Kylian Mbappé and Robert Lewandowski despite being a winger. He scored a hat trick against Bayern Munich to end their taboo relationship with the German side, having 7 g/a in 4 matches against Real Madrid alone in this season, and getting Barcelona over the finish line to a domestic treble. His flexibility to play on either wing and even in the center attacking midfielder role give him a starting spot in all teams on Earth. The Brazilian gem had a consistent run of form throughout the season but had less flashy moments that players like Lamine Yamal, Ousmane Dembélé, or Nuno Mendes, which harmed the public view of the player. He doesn’t bother much with skills and clashes off the pitch as much as others, although he is prone to either, resorting to quality performances on a weekly basis to prove his quality. Raphinha’s rise to prominence came off the back of a summer where Barcelona fans were under the impression he would be replaced by Nico Williams, a starlet who performed impressively at the 2024 Euro’s as a champion. When the transfer didn’t go down, Raphinha shoved off the comments and used them as fuel to launch a historic campaign as a powerhouse for Barcelona’s domestic treble winning sign netting an unbelieveable 56 G/A tally across all competitions. Ultimately, not winning the UEFA Champions league and completing the quadruple was the only step missing to having a Barcelona player win the Ballon D’Or.

1. Ousmane Dembélé

The best player in the world from the 24/25 season was Ousmane Dembélé. The frenchman was the main man in a quadruple winning french side that demolished footballing giants week in week out, accumulating 49 goals and assists in all competitions. Dembélé was able to play in any position in the front three, working well with every single attacker that was shoved into the lineup and was a pressing machine off the ball. With quick speed, he is able to counter quickly, burst past defenses with the option to slot it into the far post, finish near and high, cross in, dribble back and cycle the ball and so many other options. Unpredictability was the french international’s bread and butter, it saw the defeats of many star sides across the world, with Dembélé scoring against giants of Arsenal, Liverpool, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, and Manchester City, all in high pressure knockout settings. He was undroppable for club in country in important matches, instating himself as the face of the first PSG side to win the Champions League. As the season progressed, he became more and more prolific and eventually establishing a profile that he had yet to develop in previous campaigns: a finisher AND a creator. His three dimensional ability was pivotal in the buildup alongside the front three but also the fullbacks overlapping allowed him to drop deeper and centrally or play balls forward to the defensive players like Achraf Hakimi. The fluid nature of PSG was driven by Ousmane Dembélé and the sheer accomplishment that he achieved throughout the season alongside his individual performances, warrant the elusive and coveted trophy of the Ballon D’Or.