The Favorite Stars to Win the Ballon d’Or in 2025 as Ranked by Bookmakers

In 2018, Croatian midfielder Luka Modric ended the decade-long hegemony of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo at the Ballon d’Or awards. Within that period, both footballing legends won five Golden Balls apiece, in addition to other team trophies and individual accolades.

While Messi would later go on to add three more to his collection, the intense rivalry that kept fans entertained for years has since faded into the background. But now, with the stars no longer at the top of the game due to age, newer talents are wasting no time filling into their shoes.

That’s the short story behind this year’s Ballon d’Or and the widespread interest it’s gotten. In the absence of active competition from CR7 and Messi, who would be crowned football’s greatest player in 2025.

Kate Richardson, footballing news correspondent, walks us through all of the tiny details of this year’s award and the different stars who are favored by bookmakers to make a podium finish. Expect not only to learn of their exploits in the last footballing season but also their odds of winning on betting platforms.

Considerations for Ranking

The Ballon d’Or is decided by voting, so there is no mathematical system for determining who wins it and who doesn’t. However, if you pay attention to how each player performed across the season, you can know who is more likely to win it.

Fans who can combine their intuition with strategies on platforms like MightyTips can make money from wagering on the outcome of football games and awards. With MightyTips, you can get insights into top contenders, their odds of winning and best sportsbooks to place a wager from anywhere in the world.

There are some measurable factors that influence how the people who vote for the Ballon d’Or winner cast their ballot, and these are the main ones:

• Trophies won
• Contributions to the team effort
• Individual awards from leagues and tournaments
• Performance for the International Team
• Goals
• Assists
• Clean sheets for defensive players

Favorites for the 2025 Ballon d’Or

Based on the factors highlighted above, these are some of the favorites for the 2025 Ballon d’Or award.

Raphinha

Barcelona’s 2024/25 season was delivered by the hard work of many players, but Raphinha was one of the standout characters. Former Manchester United and Bayern Munich midfielder Owen Hargreaves has since described Raphinha as a top contender for the Golden Ball.

"You can argue that with his numbers this season, [Raphinha's] in contention for the Ballon d'Or," Hargreaves said.

"His finishing has been out of this world; he’s the captain of the club, and he's been an absolute revelation. I think currently you would say he might be in the lead for the Ballon d'Or."

The Brazilian star scored 39 goals and gave 25 assists to win Barcelona the La Liga trophy, Copa del Rey and Supercopa de Espana. In every big game, Raphinha showed up to make the difference where it mattered.

Ousmane Dembele

The French national has been a player with lots of potential for many years, but from his days at Dortmund, to Barcelona, then PSG, and even with the national team, this potential never fully bloomed. However, in the 2024/25 season, Dembele finally found his rhythm with the PSG team.

In Ligue 1, Dembele scored 21 goals and made 6 assists, and in other competitions his important goals in the Anfield and other big games came in clutch for the French side. PSG went on to win all the trophies possible this season and might themselves win the Club World Cup with Dembele running on the right wing.

Vitinha

Vitinha had seven goals and six assists before the Club World Cup, but just like Dembele, he was part of the successful PSG team, so he won everything possible at Club level. In addition, playing for his country, Portugal, Vitinha also won the UEFA Nations League in June.

For both teams, Vitinha played a very important role in most of their wins. Also, since Rodri and Modric opened the way for midfielders in recent years, there is hope for the 25 year old.

Lamine Yamal

Barcelona’s wonderkid had a beautiful season that would have come to a fairytale end if their Champions League hopes were not cut off by an Inter Milan extra time clincher in the semi-finals. Yamal had 21 goals and 26 assists for the Blaugrana and sent Spain to the Nations League final after bagging a brace in a 9-goal thriller against France.

In all the trophies Barcelona won, the 17 year old was always there scoring goals when it mattered most, even though he couldn’t save them against Inter.

Mohammed Salah

The Egyptian star quickly found his rhythm with the new Liverpool boss, Arne Slot. In his usual fashion, Salah went through the season scoring goals and making assists when the club needed them most. In the 2024/25 season, Mo Salah finished with the most goals (29) and most assists (18), as Liverpool won their second English Premier League title in six years.

Even though Salah’s Liverpool could not get past the Round of 16 in the Champions League, his performance overall this season still earns him a spot as one of the favorites for the Ballon d’Or.

Final Thoughts on the 2025 Ballon d’Or

Just before his Nations League triumph with Portugal, Cristiano Ronaldo took a hard stance on who deserves to emerge as Ballon d’Or winner. The five-time awardee said, "In my opinion, whoever wins it should be on a team that has won trophies. The Ballon d'Or winner should be in a team that has won the Champions League."

While that will leave only PSG players in the run for the coveted prize, history tells us that it’s not always the case to have UCL winners take home the Golden Ball. Now, it’s up to the voters to decide which of these favorites gets the prestigious golden ball award. With all the stats before you, who do you think should be named the Best Player of 2025?

The article was provided by Kate Richardson