Raphinha, Lamine, and the other Ballon d'Or candidates after the end of the Cristiano-Messi tyranny.

With the era of the Ballon d'Or being a two-man affair over, the one that began with Cristiano Ronaldo in 2008 and ended with Leo Messi in 2023 with his eighth trophy, with sporadic incursions from players like Luka Modric (2018) and Karim Benzema (2022), the award has become open to several players. If the 2024 award was a surprise when Rodri Hernández won it over Vinicius , the 2025 award is, as of today, an absolute pipe dream to predict.

The subjective criteria for football's most prestigious individual award, as its selection is made by 100 football journalists from the top 100 countries in the FIFA world rankings, make it very difficult to determine the winner. These professionals are supposed to value three pillars: individual performance, team performance, and fair play , but the surprises of recent years have opened up a field of five players in the running for the 2025 award.

Hansi Flick 's surprising FC Barcelona has two names on the shortlist: Raphinha and Lamine Yamal . With victories in the Spanish Super Cup and the Copa del Rey and more than half the league title under their belt, the Catalans could see their elimination from the Champions League semi-finals against Inter Milan and their absence from the Club World Cup, an event that half the world will be watching when it opens this year, in the final score.

Barça's Brazilian is the big breakthrough this season after showing rather erratic performances in previous seasons with the club. He has scored 34 goals and provided 25 assists in 54 matches this season. Flick has managed to bring out the best in a player who has been an undisputed fixture in the Barça starting eleven and who has shown great personality as captain. However, Brazil's results and performance do not help his candidacy.

However, Yamal 's consolidation at the European Championship with Spain foreshadowed that this year his status would rise even further with his club. The Barcelona youth product, a reigning Kopa winner (also awarded by France Football for players under 21), has put together a string of exhibitions throughout this season. His semifinal against Inter, sadly eliminated, was historic. "As long as I win, they can't say anything to me. When they beat me, they can," he remarked before the tie. Even if he didn't, his name was highlighted in Europe, but so were his numbers: 16 goals and 24 assists in 52 matches.

Non-Barcelona fans

In terms of numbers, Mohamed Salah is one of the few footballers in Europe who comes close to matching Barcelona's players. His 33 goals and 23 assists in 50 matches place the Egyptian, on merit, among the candidates for the Ballon d'Or. Liverpool have won the Premier League, but defeats in the Carabao Cup against Nottingham Forest and, above all, their early elimination from the Champions League by Luis Enrique 's PSG have diminished the African's collective merits.

Completing the list are the only two players who can win the most prestigious club tournament. The first and most likely to win is Ousmane Dembélé . The Frenchman has exploded under the Asturian coach, scoring 33 goals and providing 13 assists in 46 matches, and has also been instrumental in the French side's Ligue 1 title. They still have two finals remaining: the Cup against Reims on Saturday the 24th, and the aforementioned Champions League final a week later. Victory, especially in the latter, could make them the favorite over the other contenders.

Lautaro Martínez , the last player to complete the list of contenders, has yet to win a tournament with Inter this year and, in domestic competition, they are chasing Conte 's Napoli. The Champions League could give him a certain status, but his individual stats—22 goals and seven assists in 48 matches—don't grant him any superiority over his rivals. However, Inter, Liverpool, and PSG will all be at the World Cup in the United States.

With the tyranny of two legends over, football once again boasts many outstanding players. And yet this year, due to collective weaknesses, Mbappé isn't among the favorites, despite his 38 goals and four assists.