D-DAY: Ousmane Dembele Favourite to Win 2025 Ballon d’Or

Ousmane Dembele and Lamine Yamal are the favourites to win the 2025 Ballon d’Or, according to the latest odds from bookmakers.

This year, the award is guaranteed to have a first-time winner, as none of the 30 players on the shortlist has ever won football’s most prestigious individual prize.

PSG Dominate the Shortlist

Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) have the most players nominated, after a fantastic season where they won four trophies, including their first-ever Champions League title.

PSG’s nominees include:

• Ousmane Dembele

• Desire Doue

• Achraf Hakimi

• Khvicha Kvaratskhelia

• Nuno Mendes

• Joao Neves

• Vitinha

• Fabian Ruiz

• Gianluigi Donnarumma (now at Manchester City)

Many of these players may miss the awards ceremony, as PSG’s postponed match against Marseille will now be played at the same time.

Yamal Tipped as Dembele’s Closest Rival

Barcelona’s young star Lamine Yamal, just 18 years old, is seen as Dembele’s biggest challenger. Yamal had an incredible season, scoring 18 goals and providing 25 assists in all competitions.

His teammate Raphinha is also among the favourites. Other top names in the race include Kylian Mbappe, Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk, and Alexis Mac Allister from Liverpool.

Premier League stars like Declan Rice, Cole Palmer, and Erling Haaland are also on the shortlist, along with Viktor Gyokeres, who impressed at Sporting CP before joining Arsenal.