Lamine Yamal or Ousmane Dembele: Who is leading the race for the 2025 Ballon d'Or?

The Ballon d'Or, football's most prestigious individual accolade, has long been a measure of greatness, and the race for the 2025 prize is as entertaining as ever. 

For years, the Golden Ball seemed destined for either Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi, as the pair exclusively shared the award between 2008 and 2017, but as their era fades and a new generation of stars emerges, this year's prize is still wide open with just months remaining until the ceremony.

Lamine Yamal and Ousmane Dembele are at the forefront of everyone's thinking following the mind games surrounding Spain's recent 5-4 UEFA Nations League semi-final victory over France, with Barcelona's teenage sensation hinting that the match's outcome could serve as the ultimate decider.

The 17-year-old may have emerged victorious in that match, but Dembele is still very much in the running, while Yamal's Barcelona teammate Raphinha and several others across the globe could also have their say after standout seasons.

Here, Sports Mole discusses who is leading the race for the 2025 Ballon d'Or.

Lamine Yamal - The Young Phenomenon

In an era where numbers and statistics dominate football opinions, Yamal is a throwback to the days when the ‘eye test’ decided who was the best player on the planet.

The most exciting wonderkid in the world may not be able to match the goals and assists of rivals Raphinha or Dembele, but his dazzling on-the-ball ability and performances at the very highest level - especially at just 17 years old - have placed him amongst the favourites to claim the Ballon d'Or.

Yamal has scored 18 and assisted 21 goals in 55 appearances for Barcelona this season - certainly not numbers to dismiss - and some of his best performances have come on the biggest stages, including a Champions League semi-final goal against Inter Milan, the opening goal in the title-clinching win against Espanyol and three goals in four games against Real Madrid.

Despite being just a teenager, Yamal is frequently looked upon to lead Barcelona out of tough situations - most notably as the ball was often forced to the winger in their Champions League loss to Inter Milan - and while Blaugrana were unable to lift Europe's biggest trophy, they still secured La Liga and Copa del Rey titles.

Yamal’s age certainly enhances his Ballon d’Or prospects, as it is almost unimaginable what he is achieving at just 17, and as things stand, he may well be leading the race.

Ousmane Dembele - A Revitalised Star

Dembele was once seen much like Yamal is now, an exceptionally talented youngster with the potential to reach the peak of world football.

The Frenchman struggled with injuries and inconsistency during his six seasons at Barcelona before moving to Paris Saint-Germain, where he was overshadowed by Kylian Mbappe in his first season and struggled to establish himself as the side's leading star at the beginning of this term. 

However, a switch to striker in December allowed Luis Enrique to unlock the performances Dembele’s potential had long promised, with the goals and assists starting to flow as he eventually finished the campaign with 33 goals and 13 assists in 49 appearances.

Dembele helped lead PSG to the Ligue 1, Coupe de France and Champions League trophies, including two assists in the final against Inter Milan, and Enrique said after the victory that the 28-year-old would be his pick for the Ballon d'Or award.

Dembele’s prospects are, fairly or not, slightly overshadowed by Yamal’s remarkable performances at such a young age, likely placing the Frenchman as runner-up for now, but a potential Club World Cup triumph could boost him back to the top of the race.

The Other Contenders

The aforementioned two are certainly the frontrunners for the Golden Ball, but several others around the world have also produced performances worthy of recognition in the ongoing race for the prize.

While Yamal has arguably been Barcelona's standout star, Raphinha has been their primary source of goals this season, as the Brazilian netted a stunning 34 goals and recorded 22 assists in 57 appearances across all competitions, including matching Ronaldo's record for most goal contributions in a single Champions League campaign (21).

However, Barcelona's eventual UCL exit would have harmed his chances, and with Yamal being widely viewed as the star of that Blaugrana side, Raphinha is not expected to lift the Ballon d'Or.

Mohamed Salah was undoubtedly the best player on the planet in the first two thirds of the season, producing simply unthinkable numbers as Liverpool stormed to the top of the Premier League standings and Champions League league phase table.

The Egyptian scored 34 goals and recorded 23 assists across all competitions, including 29 goals and 18 assists in the Premier League - significantly more goal contributions than any other player in Europe’s top five leagues.

However, Salah’s form dipped toward the end of the campaign, with just four goals and one assist in his last 13 games, and with Liverpool losing the EFL Cup final and exiting the Champions League against PSG during that period, the forward has likely slipped out of voters' minds and may have to settle for a podium finish.

Elsewhere, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Desire Doue are in contention after playing major roles in PSG's treble-winning season, while Scott McTominay is an outside shout after leading Napoli to the Serie A title and earning the league’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) award in the process.

Written by
Ellis Stevens