Ballon d’Or 2025 odds: Youngster Lamine Yamal battling Ousmane Dembele for title

Despite still being just 17, Barcelona youngster Lamine Yamal has emerged as the joint-favourite to lift this year’s Ballon d’Or. The Spanish youngster has been heavily involved in Barcelona’s title-winning season, scoring nine goals and registering 13 assists. 

And, despite Barcelona being dumped out of the Champions League at the semi-final stage, the exciting wide player has also bagged eight goal involvements in the Champions League.

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Yamal is widely considered a generational talent and having broken onto the club and international scene at such a young age, he could go on to rival the likes of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo with personal as well as team accolades. 

According to recent reports, Barcelona are understandably keen to keep hold of their prodigious talent. After a meeting between his agent Jorge Mendes and Barcelona president Joan Laporta, reports claim Yamal is close to extending his stay at the Catalan club until 2031.

Speaking about the possibility of his client winning the prize, Mendes said: “Lamine deserves to win the Ballon d’Or. He has been the best player in the world this season.” 

Although the Spaniard has a very strong chance of picking up the prestigious prize, he still has formidable competition, especially from Ousmane Dembele. Yamal himself has described Dembele as being one of the two current players he admires most. 

Dembele has the advantage that Paris Saint-Germain are still competing in the Champions League, whereas Barcelona’s season has ended. The final takes place on Saturday 31 May and pits Dembele’s PSG against three-time Champions League winners Inter Milan. With Dembele and Yamal currently sitting at the top of the Ballon d’Or betting, and with no international competitions to run, that match could determine the winner. 

So far this season, Dembele has scored 21 times and assisted six in Ligue 1 while scoring eight and assisting four in the Champions League. By pure numbers alone, Dembele may feel hard done by if he doesn’t collect the award.

Team-mate Raphinha had been installed as the early favourite for this year’s title in what was seen as a direct competition between him and Liverpool’s Mo Salah. However, Liverpool’s early exit from the Champions League and Raphinha’s inconsistent form in knockout games have seen significant changes in the betting. 

The prize is considered the biggest individual accolade in the footballing calendar. It is awarded to the player who gets the most points from an international jury of 100 sports journalists and it has been won by some of the biggest names in the game. Last year’s winner was Yamal’s fellow countryman, Rodri. 

The Manchester City star isn’t competing this year after suffering an injury that has kept him out for nearly the whole season. Yamal’s youth means he may have a chance to catch the likes of Messi, who, with eight titles to his name, has the most wins to his name, and Ronaldo, who has the most nominations with 18. 

Yamal won the Kopa award, which is considered the young player’s equivalent of the Ballon d’Or, last year, and is still eligible to win that trophy this year. 

The current Ballon d'Or winner odds, correct at the time of writing, from Ladbrokes: