Ballon d'Or 2025: PSG star favourite for award as French giants dominate top 10 and just one Premier League ace in mix
THE 2024-25 season is in the books with - and it's fair to say it didn't quite follow the script.
If someone told you Liverpool would win the Premier League in their "rebuild" year under Arne Slot, few would have believed you.
12
12
And then there's Paris Saint-Germain finally winning the Champions League AFTER getting rid of Lionel Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe.
Tottenham booked a Champions League spot by winning the Europa League - ending their 17-year trophy drought - despite finishing 17th in the Prem with a barely-believable 38 points.
Crystal Palace won their first-ever trophy, while Newcastle ended their 70-year wait for a major crown with Carabao Cup glory.
So it only seems right that there will be a new Ballon d'Or winner in 2025.
The Messi-Cristiano Ronaldo duopoly has completely crumbled in the last year or so, with Rodri clinching the 2024 award.
But with the Spaniard out for much of the season injured and playing for a wildly sub-par Manchester City, he's completely out of the running.
So 2025 will see a first win for one of SunSport's top ten.
Spoiler alert, PSG stars feature heavily, with just one Premier League star making the list...
10. Pedri - Barcelona
The Nou Camp giants had a season to remember and appear to be well on their way to getting back to their best after a few difficult seasons, particularly in the Champions League.
No longer THE wonderkid in the Barca team, Pedri, 22, has lost that title to 17-year-old Lamine Yamal, who many consider to be the heir to Lionel Messi's throne.
I can win the Ballon D'or says Brighton's Carlos Baleba
But the midfielder has quietly gone about his business, racking up four goals and five assists in 37 LaLiga games en route to the title, missing just one match.
He also played in all 14 Champions League matches - culminating in the epic 7-6 aggregate loss to Inter Milan, arguably the greatest-ever two-legged Champions League tie.
12
9. Kylian Mbappe - Real Madrid
A season of frustration for the French superstar.
Mbappe, 26, quit PSG to end their 'wanna Galacticos' era once and for all... with his old side immediately going on to win the one trophy that had always evaded them: the Champions League.
Los Blancos also finished second in LaLiga behind old rivals Barcelona, while losing both the Copa del Rey and Supercopa de Espana finals.
They made it to the quarter-finals of the Champions League, before losing to Arsenal.
On a personal level, Mbappe recovered from a slow start to show signs of his best form, scoring 43 goals across all competitions, including a hat-trick in the 3-1 win over Man City.
12
8. Lautaro Martinez - Inter Milan
A real 'nearly' season for Inter Milan, it was a difficult one for fans - and the club itself - to process.
On the one hand, they exceeded expectations. But, on the other, they were so close, yet so far - second in Serie A, runners up in the Champions League and Supercoppa Italiana and just semi-finalists in the Coppa Italia.
Captain Martinez, 27, was the club's top scorer with 22 goals in all competitions - crucially including nine strikes in his 14 Champions League appearances, a huge factor in their fairytale run to the final.
7. Gianluigi Donnarumma - PSG
The first entrant to our top 10 from the Paris giants and Champions League winners is the man between the sticks.
The 6ft 5in Italian giant, 26, played in all 15 Champions League matches.
And his heroic performances between the sticks were a key cog in the long-suffering club finally ending their European Cup drought.
After years of solid performances, the former AC Milan stopper appears to be finally living up to his potential as one of the best on the planet and arguably the best European goalkeepers.
12
6. Desire Doue - PSG
A relative unknown among casual fans before this season, Doue has been an absolute revelation.
The young winger, 19, played in 16 Champions League matches this season, scoring five times - including TWO in the final to kill off the game.
Inevitably, talk has quickly moved to a "new Messi-Ronaldo" rivalry between Doue and Yamal.
It might be a bit early for that, but both are certainly in the hunt for this season's Ballon d'Or after scintillating seasons.
12
5. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia
What a year for the Georgian star...
The 24-year-old was part of the Napoli squad who won the Serie A title until January, when he moved to a PSG side who won the Ligue 1, Champions League, Coupe de France and Trophee des Champions quadruple.
Domestic trophies are no new new thing for PSG and 2024-25 will forever be remembered as the season they won their first-ever Champions League.
Kvaratskhelia played a vital role in that, playing in nine Champions League matches since January alone, contributing to five goals en route to glory, including his strike in the final.
4. Raphinha - Barcelona
At one stage, the former Leeds man looked like he was going to shatter Cristiano Ronaldo's Champions League record.
Despite falling short, the Brazilian winger, 28, contributed to 21 GOALS in just 14 Champions League games.
Raphinha was also involved in 27 goals in 36 LaLiga games as Barcelona won the title.
It was some season for the winger, who was the top favourite for the Ballon d'Or not long ago.
12
3. Mo Salah - Liverpool
A truly sensational season for the Egyptian superstar.
Salah, 32, was on track to obliterate the Premier League scoring record, before his hot streak cooled late on.
Despite that, the winger contributed to 47 Premier League goals as Liverpool won their record-levelling 20 top-flight crowns.
He won the Golden Boot with 29 goals - meaning he's now won it a joint-record FOUR times.
Salah also contributed to seven goals in nine Champions League games, as the Reds won the first-ever 32-team group stage and reached the quarter-finals before losing to eventual champions, PSG.
2. Lamine Yamal - Barcelona
We've heard the term "Messi regen" before... with Ansu Fati.
And while that perhaps hasn't quite panned out, it's impossible to think Yamal isn't destined for superstardom.
Aged just 17, Yamal was involved in 22 LaLiga goals in 35 outings as Barcelona won the title, with a further eight involvements in the Champions League.
He's the youngest player to reach 100 competitive games for Barcelona and at this rate he could shatter a whole array of records before his career is done.
Brazil legend Ronaldo currently holds the record for youngest-ever Ballon d'Or winner, aged 21 in 1997.
Before that, George Best was the youngest at the age of 29.
If Yamal does win it this year, he'll set a record that will likely never be broken.
Either way, you certainly wouldn't bet against him breaking the record in the next few seasons...
12
1. Ousmane Dembele - PSG
In Mbappe's absence, PSG were always going to rely on his fellow Frenchman to step up and be the attacking leader.
And while the addition of Kvaratskhelia and emergence of Doue has been a massive boost, Dembele is unquestionably the No1 threat in Luis Enrique's team.
Dembele was involved in 14 goals in 15 Champions League games en route to an historic title, while he scored 21 times in 29 Ligue 1 matches, with a further six assists.
In all, the forward scored 33 goals in his side's quadruple campaign - and puts him in pole position for the Ballon d'Or... for now.
12
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
11 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
David Beckham's halfway line strike and goals galore from Wayne Rooney and Ruud van Nistelrooy - £62.5m new boy Matheus Cunha has big boots to fill as Man United's latest No 10
Matheus Cunha is set to take the storied No 10 shirt off Marcus Rashford after completing his £62.5million move to Old Trafford. The Brazilian will become the latest in a long line of players to wear the hallowed jersey. In the Premier League era, 10 other players have taken on the mantle. Prior to 1993, the likes of George Best, Sir Bobby Charlton, and Denis Law all wore the No 10 during a time when fixed squad numbers were not around. Back in the day, shirt Nos 1 to 11 were typically assigned based on starting position. But now, they have a story behind them - it's the players who define the number, not the other way round. Some of United's greatest players have graced the No 10 and bestowed it with unique meaning and pressure. And here, Mail Sport looks back at every Red Devil to try it on in the Premier League era. Mark Hughes (1993-95) The first season of the Premier League in 1992-93 saw no allocated squad numbers. However, Mark Hughes often wore this No. And when they became allocated in 1993-94, this famous No became his. Those two season yielded his customary goals and trophies during United's dominance that decade. He scored 34 goals in 100 games in all competitions over those two seasons alone - with the Red Devils winning a Premier League and FA Cup Double in 1993-94. After Hughes left the club, the No was vacant for a season until the man below took it... David Beckham (1996-97) For a whole generation, David Beckham is a stylish figure whose free-kicks they tried desperately to emulate in parks and streets across the nation; kids contorting their bodies into unnatural positions in a vain attempt to meet the ball in the right place and 'bend it like Beckham'. Before sporting the iconic No 7, Beckham had a short stint with the No 10 on his back. It was with this shirt that he made his first steps to becoming a household name, with a spectacular halfway line strike against Wimbledon on the opening day of the 1996-97 season. The midfielder found the back of the net from 57 yards out, a goal which was later voted as the 18th greatest sporting moment ever by the British public, in a poll conducted by Channel 4. Beckham won six Premier League titles with the Red Devils and scored 85 goals in 394 appearances. While these numbers aren't too shabby, we all know his impact extended past the stat sheet. If Cunha could emulate half of what Beckham did at United, he would go down in the club's history forever. Teddy Sheringham (1997-2001) Following Eric Cantona's shock retirement in 1997, Teddy Sheringham had big boots to fill up front for United. He joined from Tottenham for £3.5m, and wore the No 10 for the entirety of his tenure at Old Trafford until 2001. During this time, he made 153 appearances and scored 46 goals, the most important of which came in the 1999 Champions League final. The 6ft 1in striker came off the bench to score an equaliser against Bayern Munich in added time, before Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's winning goal clinched a historic treble for United just moments later. During his tenure, Sheringham won three Premier League titles, while his most prolific goalscoring season came in his swansong year at the club, when he scored 15 goals. To think he'd struggle to make the best three players on this list says a lot about the history of United's No 10 shirt. Ruud van Nistelrooy (2001-06) Ruud van Nistelrooy can't technically be called a 'proper No 9' because his goalscoring antics at United were performed with the No 10 draped on the back of his shirt - but you get the point. In his debut season at the club, the Dutchman netted 23 goals in 32 league games, scoring in eight consecutive matches, and was named the PFA Players' Player of the Year. Barring an injury-ridden 2004-05 campaign, Van Nistelrooy scored 20 or more goals in every Premier League season he played in. He departed Old Trafford after five seasons with a total of 150 goals in 219 appearances, and four more trophies to his name, including a Premier League title. Out of every player on this list, a player like Van Nistelrooy might be what the current United are screaming out for the most. Wayne Rooney (2007-2017) Having been given the No 8 when he arrived from Everton in 2005, Wayne Rooney switched to the No 10 ahead of the 2007-08 season. And it was with the double digits on his back that he performed most of the work which cemented him as one of United's greatest ever players - perhaps their greatest. After making the change, Rooney won four Premier League titles, an FA Cup, a Champions League and more. The former club captain is United's all-time top goalscorer with 253 goals in 559 games. Rooney's legacy goes unspoken. He embodied everything it meant to play for United, not just wear the No 10 shirt. He was a real fan favourite, and a paragon which the club have been begging for since his exit. Zlatan Ibrahimovic (2017-18) Zlatan Ibrahimovic initially donned the No 9 when he joined United on a free transfer from PSG in 2016. In his first season, he proved why he was still one of Europe's most dangerous frontmen, scoring 28 goals in 46 games. His season was cut short by an ACL injury sustained in April 2017, but he was still instrumental in leading United to an EFL Cup and a Europa League title. Yet, in spite of all of his self-aggrandisement, which saw him refer to himself as a lion or even as 'Zlatan' in the third person, Father Time claimed victory over the seemingly indomitable Ibrahimovic. He wore the No 10 in his second season, which was derailed by his knee injury, meaning he only made seven appearances in all competitions and scored just once. Consequently, the Swede's contract was terminated by mutual consent in March 2018. Marcus Rashford (2018-2025) Few Carrington graduates have burst onto the scene quite like Marcus Rashford did. He made his mark after being called up at the eleventh hour to replace Anthony Martial in a Europa League game against Midtjylland in 2016. Rashford scored a brace in that game, then another against Arsenal just days later. Given the No 10 shirt in 2018, Rashford was tipped to join the ranks of club icons. While spells of brilliance have punctuated his time at Old Trafford, including a 30-goal campaign in 2022-23, too many seasons have passed where he's just been off it. For every dazzling spell of form, there has been an equal stretch of anonymity. In fairness to him, he didn't choose to get chucked into United's worst era in Premier League history. Whether time will be kind to Rashford's legacy is yet to be seen. He's won two FA Cups, two EFL Cups and a Europa League title. In 426 games, the forward has scored 138 goals and is United's 13th all-time top goalscorer.
Reuters
14 minutes ago
- Reuters
Boisson should expect glare of media spotlight, says Gauff
PARIS, June 5 (Reuters) - Having experienced intense media scrutiny early in her career, Coco Gauff knows all too well the attention her French Open semi-final opponent, local favourite Lois Boisson, faces. Boisson, ranked 361st in the world, burst into the limelight at Roland Garros with an impressive run to the last four and while it ended in a 6-1 6-2 defeat on Thursday, the 22-year-old will shoot up the WTA rankings. "I think her position is especially harder because I think in the French (Open) there's not a lot of (local) players who have made this result in recent years. So I think the whole country is going to be looking at everything," Gauff told a press conference. No French female player had reached the French Open semi-final since Marion Bartoli in 2011. "I guess my biggest advice is just to stay true to yourself and keep your people around you, what they expect from you, not what media expects from you or other outside analysts expect for you," Gauff added. Boisson, however, appeared to have her feet firmly on the ground throughout her Paris stay. "I don't know her too well, but the fact that she's had such a great run and even with all the media attention that happened so fast, obviously I think she has her head on her right shoulders," the American world number two said. "It's going to be probably a weird few months for her, but I think the more it happens, the more you get used to it." Boisson is not planning to change much beyond her tournament schedule as with a new ranking of 65th she will surely get direct entry into the Grand Slam and top-event main draws. "Necessarily when we win more matches and we get into the top 100, then people take more of an interest in you. It's logical," she said. "But I don't have any particular pressure. I have a great team with me, and I'm going to keep my feet well on the ground and all will be well. "For the time being, I'm not going to make any particular changes because I think that if I'm here today it's because it works well, and I don't see why I would change much."
Daily Mail
18 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Rosie Huntington-Whiteley puts on a VERY leggy display in a racy burgundy leather dress for sizzling Gisou shoot
Rosie Huntington-Whiteley put on a very leggy display in a racy burgundy leather dress for a sizzling new Gisou shoot on Thursday. The model, 38, looked sensational in the sexy ensemble, which featured a plunging neckline and a daring thigh-high split that showed off her long, toned pins. Rosie added inches to her statuesque frame with a pair of pointed black open-toe heels as she posed for a mirror selfie. To complete her look for the photoshoot, Rosie accessorised with chunky silver hoop earrings and styled her golden blonde tresses in a voluminous curly blowout. In another sultry snap, Rosie gave fans a closer look at her towering heels, which boasted a red lining and perfectly complemented her chic French pedicure. From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the Daily Mail's new showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. It comes just days after Rosie showed off her ripped abs in an all-white sportswear look. The British supermodel took to Instagram on Monday to share a recent ad as she modelled for Alo Yoga. In an array of snaps, Rosie was seen wearing a white sports bra with mesh panelling underneath the cups. She paired the sports bra with a white nylon co-ord, consisting of a pair of low-rise wide-leg track pants and a matching full zip-up track jacket - both of which also featured mesh panelling. Rosie finished off the look with a pair of black sport aviator sunglasses and her blonde locks were styled in loose waves. Rosie commanded attention last month as she shared a sizzling photo dump on Instagram during her time in Cannes. Rosie was among those who jetted to the French Riviera for the Cannes Film Festival, and she gave her followers a glimpse into her glamorous stay. In the first few snaps, Rosie showcased her incredible figure in a skimpy white bikini while lounging on a sunbed perched on a cliffside by the ocean. The striking two-piece featured green bead detailing on the straps, which she styled with a statement gold necklace and coordinating bracelet. She completed the look with a stone-coloured baseball cap and a chic straw beach bag. Rosie then slipped into a sultry red gown as she posed for a mirror selfie from her hotel room. The stunning, figure-hugging ensemble featured a sweetheart neckline and a daring thigh-high slit that showed off her toned legs. Dressed to the nines in Balenciaga, she paired the elegant dress with classic black pointed heels. Rosie had been invited to an exclusive event by the fashion house, sharing a snap of the formal invitation with her followers. She captioned the post: 'From Cannes with love.'
