Liverpool’s UCL Exit Has Plummeted Mo Salah’s Ballon d’Or Odds

Mo Salah's Ballon d'Or hopes take a hit as Liverpool crashes out of the Champions League, with Mbappe now leading the race.

Mo Salah’s performance this season has been among the best. With Liverpool at the top of the Premier League table and Champions League table at the end of the group stage, he was at the top of the list of players with most odds to win the 2025 Ballon d’Or.

We exit the Champions League on penalties. #UCL pic.twitter.com/AW3Ph5EuQS
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) March 11, 2025

However, following Liverpool’s success in the group stage, they struggled in their first Knockout game against PSG in the round of 16. PSG were the clear dominant side but with a genius performance from Alisson Becker, they managed to win the first leg by a narrow 1-0 margin.

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However, they lost 1-0 against PSG in the second leg and failed through the crack and got knocked out as the match went into the penalties. With that, Mo Salah’s odds of winning the 2025 Ballon d’Or dropped significantly. 6 days ago, he was topping the list whereas now he’s dropped down to second place.

With Real Madrid still in the competition, Mbappe’s odds have skyrocketed. He’s now at the top of the list with Raphinha in third place. However, the odds will keep changing as the season progresses depending on the players’ contributions to the teams and their progression and wins through the season.

Updated Ballon d’Or Winner Odds

Kylian Mbappe – 2/1 (+200)
Mohammed Salah – 11/4 (+275)
Raphinha – 3/1 (+300)
Vinicius Jr – 9/1 (+900)
Lamine Yamal – 16/1 (+1600)

Here is the breakdown of the Ballon d’Or odds-

1. Kylian Mbappe (2/1)

Real Madrid are still in the Champions League. Even though Mbappe’s start to the season with Los Blancos has been slow, he has become a key player for the club. He’s currently the second-highest goalscorer in La Liga and has already scored 7 goals in 11 UCL matches he has played.

If Mbappe maintains his form and Real Madrid manage to keep progressing and reach the final or win the trophy, there will be no doubt about his chances of winning the prestigious award.

2. Mohammed Salah (11/4)

Liverpool may have been knocked out of the Champions League, but they are still topping the Premier League. They are leading the table with 15 points from second-placed Arsenal. He’s currently the highest goalscorer in the league with 27 goals to his name.

3. Raphinha (3/1)

The competition in La Liga is firing up among the three top clubs. However, Raphinha’s contribution in Barcelona’s success this season cannot be doubted. He has been one of their clutch players, scoring in whichever game the team went behind.

Barcelona are currently at the top of the La Liga table with the same points as second-placed Real Madrid having played one less game. They are also in tremendous form at UCL. Raphinha’s odds may increase in the coming months depending on the team’s situation.

4. Vinicius Jr (9/1)

With a star-studded squad, it’s not a surprise that two Real Madrid players are competing for the Ballon d’Or this season with a third – Jude Bellingham – not far behind. That’s why, while Real Madrid’s progression is important for all three players’ chances, so is their contribution.

Vinicius has been giving a tough competition to Mbappe this season. He’s the joint scorer with Mbappe in the UCL with 7 goals and has also scored 10 goals in La Liga.

5. Lamine Yamal (16/1)

Being one of the youngest wonders of the season, Lamine Yamal is improving day by day and his contributions to La Blaugrana’s tremendous form this season cannot be denied. The 17-year-old became the youngest to score and assist a goal in the Champions League against Benfica in the round of 16 second leg game. The Spanish prodigy is also leading La Liga in most assists (11) stats this season.

(Odds via Bet365 as of March 12th, 2025)

Ballon d’Or

Barcelona

Champions League

Kylian Mbappe

La Liga

Lamine Yamal

Liverpool

Mo Salah

Premier League

Raphinha

Real Madrid

Vinicius

Moumita Dutta

soccer

Football writer at The Playoffs. I’ve been obsessed with the beautiful game since I was a kid.. Eventually, I realized I could combine my passion for writing with my love for football, and I’ve never looked back. My favorite part of the job is everything—when you’re doing what you love, even a late-night deadline feels like extra time in a thrilling cup final. Lastly, Lionel Messi is the GOAT.