Unlike the previous years, where debates on who featured in the ballon d'Or ranking was exceptional locked between two football players, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, the ballon d'Or ranking  2025 is bringing in new faces completely.

Like it had happened, even though rarely in some years back, ballon d'Or ranking 2025 will be featuring some names of players without certainty of them winning the award because of some underlining factors that affect featured European football players depending on their colors.

From Africa to Europe and across the world, it is rare to have anyone giving a list of five players in the ballon d'Or ranking 2025, establishing their performance, competence and qualifications for the award. However, TheRoundTable come up with a list of three exceptional players ranking in the top of the forecast for the ballon d'Or ranking 2025, with a separate list of some players who may also be given an opportunity to strike some threats in the course of determining who wins the ballon d'Or 2025 award.

Top Contenders

1. Ousmane Dembele

Ousmane Dembele 's versatile performance in the French League One and Champions League had greatly impacted on the accomplishments of his club, Paris Saint Germain (PSG) in the current 2024/2025 season.

Dembele, notably, pulled an exceptional performance in the Champions League matches involving his club, PSG against Liverpool and Arsenal, propelling his club to the final stage of the 2024/2025 Champions League where they will be locking horns with Inter Milan.

Remembering that Dembele is an African by blood will surely raise a doubt on his likelihood of being rated at the topmost of the balon d'Or ranking 2025 despite his indisputable outstanding performance.

Dembele was born in France but his father hails from Mali while his mum hails from Senegal.

2. Mohammed Sallah

Mohammed Sallah did not only helped his club, Liverpool Football Club, win the most competitive national football league in Europe, English Premier League, Liverpool finished reliably well ahead of all other clubs in the continent both on points and goals.

Liverpool won the 2024/2025 English Premier League Trophy with 84 points, 86 goals ahead of any other clubs across the major leagues played in Europe. 

This exceptional performance qualifies Mohammed Sallah for a spot in the ballon d'Or ranking 2025 bearing in mind that it couldn't have been easily possible for Liverpool without Mohammed Sallah.

Again, regardless of the physique, Africans have a single colour and that of Mohammed Sallah may not make a different just like Ousmane Dembele I'm the course of finalising the ballon d'Or ranking 2025.

3. Lamine Yamal

Yamal, Spanish, although his club, Barcelona did not make it to the Champions League final, his 15 goals and 2 assists this season may not go unnoticed as mostly his goals were scored strategically and seemed to have dominated grade A matches including El Clasico and the Barcelona's Semifinals at the Champions League, home and away. 

Other Notable Players

Raphinha

 Raphinha's 32 goals and 22 assists in all competitions within a calendar year is spectacular and may not go unnoticed.

Although his club, Barcelona, is not in the Champions League final Raphinha's outstanding performance was another great one as he scored 13 goals and 8 assists in Champion ls League alone before the Barcelona crashed out of the competition at the semifinal.

Achraf Hakimi

The performance of Hakimi in the accomplishments of Paris Saint Germain (PSG) can never be underrated. Hakimi was not just a defender, he stands a chance in the committee of complete players.

Hakimi did not only help PSG secure the backline of the field during the Champions League  matches, he scored  in the Champions League quarters, semis, and final, and was part of the treble-winning team.

Desire Doue

He may not have been noted, previously but his exceptional performance in the Champions League final can never be underestimated as he already won himself the Golden Boy award.

Desire will surely be featured in the ballon d'Or ranking 2025 for his outstanding performance in the Champions League final.  

Scott McTominay

Former Manchester United player helped Napoli lift the 2024-25 Italian Serie A trophy and his outstanding performance was crowned with him winning the country's Most Valuable Player (MVA) 2025 Award. This will surely get him a spot in the ballon d'Or ranking 2025.

Kylian Mbappe 

Mbappe is surely an household name in Ballon d'Or ranking and featuring in Ballon d'Or ranking 2025 won't be amazing although his club, Real Madrid wins no major trophy for the season, Mbappe's personal accomplishment in the 2024-25 season cannot be swept under the carpet.

Remarkably, Mbappe won himself the European Golden Shoe in the 2024-25 football season.

Arguably, 2024-25 football season came with hard facts including the fact that the contest for who will be rated first on the ballon d'Or ranking 2025 is a battle between only one of the UEFA Champions League finalist clubs and others.

Also, without football of color-politics, Ballon d'Or ranking 2025 is convincingly dominated by the African and it will be an acidic test on the integrity of the organisers of the award.