Ousmane Dembele odds-on favourite for 2025 Ballon d’Or after PSG's Champions League win

Paris Saint-Germain’s Champions League win has helped Ousmane Dembele pull ahead of teenage sensation Lamine Yamal in the Ballon d’Or betting. 

Despite the two being joint favourites to pick up the prestigious award just a week ago, Dembele has now been given clear odds of 2/5 to win. 

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Yamal’s odds have drifted out to 3/1 with other contenders including Mo Salah (7/1), Raphinha (10/1), and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (16/1) seemingly now out of the conversation. 

The Ballon d’Or is considered the most prestigious individual award in football. Last year, Manchester City midfielder Rodri scooped the accolade, but his season-ending injury means he isn’t defending the crown. 

Lionel Messi has eight wins, including his most recent in 2023, making him the most decorated player in the competition. He is also the only player to have won the trophy with three different teams and the only player to have won it while playing outside Europe. Cristiano Ronaldo has the second-most wins with five, and has the most Ballon d’Or nominations with 18. 

Although Messi and Ronaldo are both still playing, they are not among the favourites this year. Messi has been priced at 100/1. It seems highly likely that this year’s winner will be picking the award up for the first time.

Heading into this year’s Champions League final, there was nothing separating PSG’s Dembele and Barcelona’s Yamal. However, while Dembele didn’t score in the final, which saw PSG demolish Inter Milan 5-0, he did pick up two assists and manager Luis Enrique heaped praise on the Frenchman for his pressing. 

Dembele also has the added benefit of potentially featuring in the FIFA Club World Cup. The tournament takes place in June and July, before the Ballon d’Or nominations are announced in August. Barcelona won’t feature in this year’s competition, which means Yamal and Raphinha won’t have any further opportunities to impress. Similarly, Mo Salah’s Liverpool will not be in the tournament.

Dembele has already been named Ligue 1 player of the season. Only two players have outscored him in Europe’s top five leagues and it looks difficult to bet against the Frenchman who was, not too long ago, considered a Barcelona flop and was sold due to his lack of commitment. 

One player who has not been considered a flop this season has been 17-year-old Lamine Yamal. Although it looks likely he has been pipped to the Ballon d’Or post this year, it hasn’t been due to his doing. 

His 22 goal contributions helped Barcelona lift La Liga while his 13 assists were the highest of any player in the league, beating second-best Raphinha by four. This included contributions in big games. 

Although he was outperformed in both categories by teammate Raphinha, Yamal still picked up five goals and three assists in the Champions League. If he continues with his current trajectory, he could rival Ronaldo and even Messi for Ballon d’Or wins in the future.

Current Ballon d’Or odds, from Ladbrokes, correct at the time of writing: