Ballon d’Or 2025: Winner, Full Shortlist, and Africa’s Big Night
Why Ballon d’Or 2025 Mattered
The Ballon d’Or 2025 ceremony held in Paris was one for the ages. Not only did fans see a newcomer raise the golden trophy, but African footballers stole the show with phenomenal seasons and equally place in history.
From Ousmane Dembélé’s sense of vindication, to Mohamed Salah’s continued reign in the Premier League, and Achraf Hakimi’s groundbreaking run as a defender, the rich pageantry showcased the global footprint of football.
For African football fans, the night was chastening, enlightening, revealing, and ultimately shared the delicious notion some have long harbored: When will the African continent, besides George Weah, finally again see a Ballon d’Or winner?
The Winner: Ousmane Dembélé’s Road to the Top
Ousmane Dembélé was the rightful winner of the Ballon d’Or 2025, becoming the sixth Frenchman to get their hands on history. After injury troubles and inconsistent form at Barcelona for so long, transferring to Paris Saint-Germain in 2023 ended his downward regression.
The 2024–25 season he amassed 35 goals in 53 games, 16 assists, and came to life in Champions League knockout rounds. On the numbers alone, it was great, but his worth did not stop there. After Kylian Mbappé moved to Real Madrid, Dembélé took over the torch by becoming PSG’s captain and finally led PSG to their first UEFA Champions League title.
This included a number of key goals in Europe including a winner vs. Manchester City, and the goal in their 5–0 trouncing in the final. Everyone watched and agreed: When Dembélé was finally coming into the moment everyone saw as teenager.
“I worked for the team to win PSG’s first Champions League. Winning the Ballon d’Or is incredible,” said Dembélé in his speech. It was a big day for France. He joined names like Zidane, Platini, and Benzema, and made his mark.
Ballon d’Or 2025 Shortlist: The Full 30 Nominees
The last list had players from the top teams in Europe. Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona had many players there. This is a real sign of how good those teams have been..
Ballon d’Or 2025 Finalist Rankings
- Ousmane Dembélé (France, PSG)
- Lamine Yamal (Spain, Barcelona)
- Vitinha (Portugal, PSG)
- Mohamed Salah (Egypt, Liverpool)
- Raphinha (Brazil, Barcelona)
- Achraf Hakimi (Morocco, PSG)
- Kylian Mbappé (France, Real Madrid)
- Cole Palmer (England, Chelsea)
- Gianluigi Donnarumma (Italy, PSG)
- Nuno Mendes (Portugal, PSG)
- Pedri (Spain, Barcelona)
- Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (Georgia, PSG)
- Harry Kane (England, Bayern Munich)
- Désiré Doué (France, PSG)
- Viktor Gyökeres (Sweden, Sporting/Arsenal)
- Vinícius Júnior (Brazil, Real Madrid)
- Robert Lewandowski (Poland, Barcelona)
- Scott McTominay (Scotland, Napoli)
- João Neves (Portugal, PSG)
- Lautaro Martínez (Argentina, Inter Milan)
- Serhou Guirassy (Guinea, Dortmund)
- Alexis Mac Allister (Argentina, Liverpool)
- Jude Bellingham (England, Real Madrid)
- Fabián Ruiz (Spain, PSG)
- Denzel Dumfries (Netherlands, Inter Milan)
- Erling Haaland (Norway, Man City)
- Declan Rice (England, Arsenal)
- Virgil van Dijk (Netherlands, Liverpool)
- Florian Wirtz (Germany, Leverkusen/Liverpool)
- Michael Olise (France/England, Bayern Munich)
This list really shows how competitive modern-day football is. Moreover, it is rare for two Africans to make the top 10!
African Players in the Spotlight
Mohamed Salah
Mohamed Salah was fourth in the Ballon d’Or 2025, which is his best place ever. At 32, he had a year that made people quiet who said he was now too old.
- 29 goals and 18 assists in the Premier League
- Liverpool were crowned champions with games to spare
- Matched the highest total in goal involvements in any European season with 47
Liverpool fans felt he should have been in the top three. Some said it would hurt a Premier League player in the Ballon d’Or vote. They felt this way if the player was not in the light of Spain or France. But Salah made his case as one of the best ever from Africa.
Achraf Hakimi
Achraf Hakimi landed 6th, the highest finish of his career. The Moroccan right-back had a historic season:
- 11 goals and 16 assists from right back
- Scored in the quarter-final, semi-final and final of the Champions League
- Surpassed Dani Alves’ record for the most goal contributions from a defender during a European season
Hakimi himself believed he should be awarded the Ballon d’Or and while that some viewed as excessive, he offered up the numbers to support the reasoning. From an African perspective, his finish reminded fans in Africa and the world, that defenders could impact matches just as much as strikers.
Serhou Guirassy
Guirassy was a surprise with his ranking at 21st. The Guinean striker made quite the splash on Borussia Dortmund:
- 44 goals in all competitions
- 13 goals in the Champions League, the top scorer in the tournament
- First African player to score 13 in a UCL season
However, while they weren’t able to meet their domestic goals, Guirassy became a hero in his home country of Guinea and earned respect throughout Europe for his performances!
Notable Snubs
- Victor Osimhen (Nigeria) – He won the Golden Boot with 26 league goals (37 total). Many fans said he should have been on the 30-man list.
- Sadio Mane (Senegal) – After he went to Saudi Arabia, he fell off the radar.
- Riyad Mahrez (Algeria) – He had the same problem after he left the game in Europe.
This made people ask a big question. Does a player hurt their chance to win the Ballon d’Or if they leave a top league in Europe? What if their numbers are still great?
Historical Context: African Players and the Ballon d’Or
The story of Africa and the Ballon d’Or is not simple. The best time for Africa was in 1995. George Weah won the Ballon d’Or then. He is still the only winner from Africa.
- (2022) Sadio Mane was second to Karim Benzema. No player from Africa has come that close to a win since George Weah.
- (2019, 2022, 2025) Mohamed Salah has been in the top five many times.
- (2007) Didier Drogba was 4th when he was at his best with Chelsea.
- (2005) Samuel Eto’o was 5th. He played for Barcelona.
- (2016) Riyad Mahrez was 7th after Leicester had a dream year.
- (2023) Victor Osimhen was 8th. This is the best a player from Nigeria has ever done at the Ballon d’Or.
Every ten years, players from Africa get closer to the Ballon d’Or. But no one has done what George Weah did.
How Ballon d’Or 2025 Was Judged
France Football follows a 3-pronged approach to criteria.
- Individual excellence (goals, assists, records)
- Team achievement (league titles, Champions League, Copa América, Euros, AFCON)
- Player impact and legacy
That is why Dembélé was the winner. He had both numbers and accolades, which would come into play. It’s also the reason why Salah and Hakimi were also snubbed (despite amazing numbers).
What This Means for 2026 and Beyond
Looking ahead, storylines include:
- Lamine Yamal came close to making history as the youngest player to win the award. His day will come sooner, rather than later.
- Salah and Hakimi made history as African players who pushed to the top 5. Next step – break through and win.
- Victor Osimhen needs to leverage playing in a higher profile league to get back into the conversation.
- PSG is a dominant team, but young Real Madrid and Barcelona players are coming for the dominance that PSG has had.