The Ballon d’Or race is heating up as we approach September 22, the day a new player will be crowned the winner of the coveted award, as none of the previous winners are even in the reckoning of winning the award, as per multiple football pundits and bookmakers.
After winning the maiden UEFA Champions League title for Paris St. Germain, French forward Ousmane Dembele is currently leading the race to win the prize after scoring 33 goals and providing 15 assists across competitions in a season where PSG won the treble. Dembele could be challenged by the likes of Lamine Yamal, Mohamed Salah, and Raphinha, as all three players won the domestic league title with their respective teams in the 2024-25 season.
Yamal, still a teenager, impressed every football fan across the world as the starlet scored 18 goals and provided 25 assists across competitions as Barcelona won the La Liga and the Copa del Rey with Raphinha scored 34 goals and provided 25 assists as the Blaugrana won the domestic double but were painfully knocked out from the UCL semi-final by runners-up Inter.
On the other hand, Salah scored 29 goals and provided 18 assists in the Premier League as the Egyptian forward broke several records in the English top flight, helping Arne Slot win the league title with Liverpool in his first season as the head coach of the Reds.
After a remarkable performance in the Champions League final, Desire Doue also finds a mention in the elite list along with the likes of Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Gianluigi Donnarumma, and Lautaro Martinez who have all made it to the Top 10 as per the bookmakers. Here is the full list of odds as per Fan Duel:
Ousmane Dembele: -250
Lamine Yamal: +450
Mohamed Salah: +1100
Raphinha: +1100
Desire Doue: +1400
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia: +1600
Lautaro Martinez: +2200
Gianluigi Donnarumma: +2200
Kylian Mbappe: +4000
Pedri: +4000
