As the 2025 Ballon d’Or event approaches, the fight for football’s most illustrious individual award is coming to its finale. On Monday, the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris will present the glitzy ceremony honouring the best male and female players in the world for their amazing performances in the last season.
With 30 shortlisted candidates, focus is strongly placed on the outstanding ones who shone in local leagues, world stages, and regional competitions.
Ousmane Dembele led Paris Saint-Germain to their first-ever Champions League victory and emerged as the shared top scorer in Ligue 1 with 21 goals in a career-defining season. One of the favorites is him because of his key contributions in Europe, including assists in the 5-0 destruction of Inter Milan in the UCL final.
Harry Kane finally broke his trophy drought as Bayern Munich won the Bundesliga championship. Showing his consistency and leadership in a new age of his career, the England striker had 41 goals across events, including explosive scoring runs in September.
Real Madrid record signing Kylian Mbappe also scored a Champions League hat-tricks to live up the hype and also finished top of the La Liga goalscorers list with 31 goals. He also scored 50 goals for France thereby solidifying his status among football legends.
Barcelona’s Raphinha also netted 14 times in the Champions League and won the La Liga player of the season last season, which he was brilliant in. His teammate Lamine Yamal managed 18 goals and 21 assists in all competitions, evidence of young people’s capacity to shine under great pressure.
With 29 goals and 18 assists, Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah—now a Premier League icon—helped the Reds to a historic 20th league title; also capturing his fourth Golden Boot, therefore tying Thierry Henry’s record.
The News Chronicle observed that many believe Dembele’s transforming influence at PSG should get the award, while others are divided among admirers and analysts as well. Salah is the legitimate winner because of his unparalleled Premier League feats.
Reflecting football’s changing balance of power throughout Europe, this year’s tournament promises to be among the most hotly contested in recent memory.
