Ballon d’Or Rankings Shake Up After Portugal Claims UEFA Nations League Title

 

The race for the 2025 Ballon d’Or has intensified following Portugal's triumph in the UEFA Nations League under the leadership of Cristiano Ronaldo .

Portugal captured the prestigious Nations League title for the second time in its history, defeating Spain 5–3 on penalties in the final. This achievement has reshaped the odds for the Ballon d’Or rankings, boosting several Portuguese players—especially those who play for Paris Saint-Germain, which also recently lifted the Champions League trophy .

Ballon d’Or Award Ceremony Scheduled for September 22, 2025

This year, for the first time, awards previously limited to men—such as Best Goalkeeper, Best Young Player, and Top Scorer—will also be presented to women.

Key Criteria for the 2025 Rankings

The following factors will be considered in determining the Ballon d’Or winners:

Goals scored

Assists

Clean sheets (for defensive players)

Trophies won or contended

Key moments in the 2024–25 season

Sportsmanship and fair play 

Top 20 Candidates According to Givemesport

Based on the latest rankings shared by Givemesport, here are the leading contenders for the 2025 Ballon d’Or: 

Rank Player Club

1 Ousmane Dembélé Paris Saint‑Germain

2 Lamine Yamal Barcelona

3 Vitinha Paris Saint‑Germain

4 Raphinha Barcelona

5 Mohamed Salah Liverpool

6 Désiré Doué Paris Saint‑Germain

7 Khvicha Kvaratskhelia Paris Saint‑Germain

8 Kylian Mbappé Real Madrid

9 Pedri Barcelona

10 Nuno Mendes Paris Saint‑Germain

11 Lautaro Martínez Inter Milan

12 Achraf Hakimi Paris Saint‑Germain

13 Gianluigi Donnarumma Paris Saint‑Germain

14 Harry Kane Bayern Munich

15 Robert Lewandowski Barcelona

16 Vinícius Júnior Real Madrid

17 Cristiano Ronaldo Al‑Nassr

18 Virgil van Dijk Liverpool

19 Scott McTominay Napoli

20 Alessandro Bastoni Inter Milan