The race for the 2025 Ballon d’Or has intensified following the conclusion of the FIFA Club World Cup in the United States on Sunday night, with Paris Saint-Germain winger Ousmane Dembélé emerging as the current front runner despite PSG’s defeat in the final.
Chelsea clinched the Club World Cup title with a commanding 3-0 victory over PSG at MetLife Stadium, thanks to Cole Palmer’s first-half brace and a late strike from Joao Pedro. The win added another trophy to Chelsea’s cabinet and elevated several of their players into Ballon d’Or contention.
Palmer was awarded Best Player of the Tournament, PSG’s Désiré Doué claimed Best Young Player, Chelsea’s Robert Sánchez was named Best Goalkeeper, while Real Madrid’s Gonzalo García took home the Top Goalscorer award.
The tournament has had minimal impact on the Ballon d’Or standings, but it did shine a brighter spotlight on players like Palmer, who concluded the 2024/25 season as Chelsea’s top scorer with 15 goals and 11 assists—three of those goals coming during the Club World Cup.
Ahead of the Ballon d’Or ceremony scheduled for September, here are the top contenders as compiled by Daily Sun:
🔝 Top Ballon d’Or Contenders (Post-Club World Cup)
Ousmane Dembélé (PSG)
Stats: 38 goals, 14 assists
Trophies: UEFA Champions League, Ligue 1, Coupe de France, Trophée des Champions
Raphinha (Barcelona)
Stats: 39 goals, 25 assists
Trophies: La Liga, Copa del Rey, Supercopa
Kylian Mbappé (Real Madrid)
Stats: 38 goals, 7 assists
Trophies: UEFA Super Cup, Intercontinental Cup
Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)
Stats: 36 goals, 24 assists
Trophies: English Premier League
Lamine Yamal (Barcelona)
Stats: 21 goals, 26 assists
Trophies: La Liga, Copa del Rey, Supercopa
Harry Kane (Bayern Munich)
Stats: 26 goals
Trophies: Bundesliga
Cole Palmer (Chelsea)
Stats: 15 goals, 11 assists (including 3 Club World Cup goals)
Trophies: UEFA Europa Conference League, Club World Cup
Awards: Club World Cup Player of the Tournament
Désiré Doué (PSG)
Stats: 15 goals, 16 assists
Trophies: UEFA Champions League, Ligue 1, Coupe de France, Trophée des Champions
Awards: Club World Cup Best Young Player
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (PSG)
Stats: 14 goals, 11 assists
Trophies: UEFA Champions League, Ligue 1, Coupe de France, Serie A
Achraf Hakimi (PSG)
Stats: 11 goals, 15 assists
Trophies: UEFA Champions League, Ligue 1, Coupe de France, Trophée des Champions
Vitinha (PSG)
Stats: 7 goals, 6 assists
Trophies: UEFA Champions League, Ligue 1, Coupe de France, Trophée des Champions, UEFA Nations League
Fabián Ruiz (PSG)
Trophies: UEFA Champions League, Ligue 1, Serie A, Coupe de France.
