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The conversation on who was the best player in the world last season continues after nominees for the 2025 Ballon d’Or, football’s most prestigious individual honour, were revealed on August 7, 2025.
With the winner set to be crowned at a ceremony in Paris on Monday, September 22, 2025, the debate is getting hotter every passing week.
Following an action-packed 2024/25 campaign, the shortlist features many of the world’s standout players, with performances across all major tournaments, including the FIFA Club World Cup, taken into consideration in the selection.
Paris Saint-Germain winger Ousmane Dembélé emerges as one of the frontrunners after leading his club to a historic treble, winning the Champions League, Ligue 1, and the French Cup. PSG teammates Achraf Hakimi and Vitinha are also among the contenders.
Barcelona starlet Lamine Yamal has been hailed for his breakout performances, while Raphinha’s contributions were key to the club’s success. Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah is in contention again after steering the Reds to another Premier League crown.
The star-studded lineup also includes Jude Bellingham, Kylian Mbappé, Harry Kane, Erling Haaland, Robert Lewandowski, and Vinícius Júnior, with Gianluigi Donnarumma earning recognition for his superb goalkeeping displays at PSG.
However, which player do the bookmakers favour to win the Golden Ball on September 22, 2025?
READ ALSO: How the Ballon d'Or winner is decided: Does it favour Dembele or Lamine Yamal?
Players' chances of winning 2025 Ballon d'Or
Here are the current Ballon d'Or chances according to multiple bookmakers.
Dembele is the heavy favourite with a whopping 80% chance of being named the best player in the world. Yamal, considered the closest contender, is not so close to the PSG star in terms of his chance of winning.
He has only a 25% chance of emerging as the winner. Surprisingly, Salah ranks higher than Barcelona’s Raphinha with just one percent separating them.
Top 6 favourites
Ballon d'Or 2025 Top 6 favourites chances
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1. Dembélé (80%)
2. Lamine Yamal (25%)
3. Salah (6%)
4. Raphinha (5%)
6. Kvaratskhelia (4.76%)
5. Cole Palmer (2.9%)
6. Mbappé (1.9%)