PSG’s Dembele Leads Ballon d’Or 2025 Contenders After Club World Cup

The 2025 Ballon d'Or ceremony is set for September 22 in Paris, spotlighting performances from July 2024 through June 2025, including highlights from the inaugural 32-team Club World Cup. Ousmane Dembele of PSG leads as the clear favorite, having been instrumental in PSG's treble-winning season, including their first Champions League title, and holding strong odds at -500 to win the award. Young talents like Barcelona's Lamine Yamal and Chelsea's Cole Palmer have gained attention, with Palmer's standout performance in Chelsea's Club World Cup victory earning him Player of the Tournament, although he ranks 14th among the favorites. PSG players dominate the top rankings, with Vitinha, Désiré Doué, and others joining Dembele among the leading contenders, while Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah is the sole Premier League presence in the top ten. Despite Palmer's recent surge, experts suggest his impact may not be enough to surpass Dembele, who scored 34 goals in 52 matches and contributed significantly during the Club World Cup. The award landscape reflects a shift from the Messi-Ronaldo era to a broader competitive field centered on club-level dominance in 2024-25.