Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappé has surged into second place in the 2025 Ballon d’Or rankings, according to Goal.
Last year marked the first time since 2003 that neither Lionel Messi nor Cristiano Ronaldo were nominated. In their absence, Manchester City’s Rodri claimed the award, edging out Vinícius Jr.
This year, Mohamed Salah is widely considered the frontrunner. The in-form Egyptian is almost guaranteed to lead Liverpool to the Premier League title, with the Reds holding a 13-point advantage over Arsenal and 12 games remaining.
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Salah is having arguably the best season of his career, with 30 goals and 22 assists across all competitions. No player in Europe’s top five leagues has been more decisive. Liverpool is also a top contender for the Champions League.
Mbappé, who had a slow start to his Madrid career without scoring in his first three league appearances, has found his form, netting 28 goals so far and is on pace to break Iván Zamorano’s record for most goals in a debut season at the club.
The top five also includes Lamine Yamal (Spain, Barcelona), Raphinha (Brazil, Barcelona), and Harry Kane (England, Bayern Munich).