Ballon d'Or Rankings: Is Salah finally starting to fade?

The race for soccer's top individual accolade has never been more open. With Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo's duopoly well and truly over - neither was nominated for the Ballon d'Or last year - opportunity beckons. Rodri took full advantage in 2024. Who will do the same this year? Each month until the award is presented in October, we'll publish fresh rankings looking at the top contenders. Here are the 10 leading candidates to win the trophy right now.

10. Jude Bellingham

Bellingham ranked third in Ballon d'Or voting last year with 23 goals in his first season with Real Madrid. He's less than halfway to that number with just two months remaining in his sophomore year, but the English midfielder still has an impact on Carlo Ancelotti's side.

While opponents continue to treat Bellingham as a two-way threat, he's helped shore up a midfield that's sacrificed a bit of its goal-scoring tendencies for more defensive solidity. Bellingham's lost a bit of discipline along the way this season - he was suspended for two La Liga matches for abusive language - but continues to drive the ball forward.

9. Pedri

Attacking players almost always win the Ballon d'Or. A defender hasn't taken home the award since Fabio Cannavaro in 2006, and even that took a Herculean, World Cup-winning effort. Scoring goals is simply the easiest way to garner individual acclaim and always has been. But Rodri's triumph last year, and Luka Modric's win in 2018, proved that majestic midfielders can get the recognition they deserve in this category.

Pedri, arguably the smoothest, most aesthetically pleasing midfielder in the sport right now, has an outside shot at ensuring the Ballon d'Or remains with a Spaniard for another year. Similar to his teammates on this list, the all-around operator could come away with several trophies this season after being central, literally and figuratively, to everything for Barcelona.

8. Vinicius Junior

Vinicius, and everybody associated with Real Madrid, will tell you that the Brazilian winger should already have one Ballon d'Or to his name. They're still rankled by Rodri's win last year. The 24-year-old is once again in the mix, but his path to the coveted golden trophy is more complicated than it was in 2024, thanks largely to the presence of his teammate Kylian Mbappe.

Nevertheless, Vinicius can't be ruled out. He has 24 goals in all competitions this season and could yet win La Liga, the Champions League, and the Club World Cup in the summer. He'll likely need to either fully outscore Mbappe or deliver a signature goal, as he has in recent Champions League finals, to leapfrog his French teammate in this race.

7. Robert Lewandowski

Barcelona's veteran striker has already scored 36 goals across all competitions - his highest tally since leaving Bayern Munich in 2021. He'll surely reach 40 with at least 13 matches remaining in the season. Droughts haven't been an issue: La Liga's leading scorer hasn't gone more than three games without a goal. But he's providing more than just offensive production.

Lewandowski, working again under Hansi Flick, has become the perfect foil in Barcelona's multi-faceted attack, pulling defenders with him as his younger teammates run into space. Flick's game plan could simply involve long balls to Lewandowski, but the 36-year-old, who's been remarkably healthy this season, has been willing to work for the team.

6. Harry Kane

Things really could change for Kane this season. He's expected to win his first career title with Bayern Munich, who lead the Bundesliga by six points, and could even eclipse the 44 goals he scored last season. Kane admitted the change in "aura" at the club should boost his chances of winning the Ballon d'Or and that he couldn't have possibly won it while going trophyless at Tottenham Hotspur.

He's also elevated his play in big matches, scoring three of Bayern's five goals in the Champions League last-16 clash against Bayer Leverkusen. Kane's 10 Champions League tallies narrowly trail Raphinha's 11 this season.

5. Lamine Yamal

While not as prolific as his rivals, Yamal, who's still only 17, has become a clear reference point for Barcelona's plentiful attack. The Spanish winger is a menace down the right: His 4.2 successful dribbles per game lead La Liga by a wide margin, and no one touches his 11 assists in the top flight. Barcelona are incredibly lucky to have a ready-made replacement for Lionel Messi directly in-house.

Yamal has missed some time due to injury this season, and his health remains of utmost importance as Barcelona lean ever more on his talent. They need only look at Ansu Fati down the long side of the bench to see the devastating impact injuries can have on a promising career.

4. Ousmane Dembele

Nobody has rocketed into contention quite like Dembele, who, at long last, has put all the pieces together after years of untapped promise. The French winger, embracing the role as PSG's main man after Mbappe's departure, is backing up his blistering pace and spellbinding dribbling with prolific finishing. He has more league goals this season (21) than in his last five years combined and is the current leader in the race for France's Golden Boot.

PSG are shoo-ins to win Ligue 1 and are heavy favorites for the Coupe de France. They also look like the best team in Europe right now and have a very real shot at finally claiming a Champions League title. Should they accomplish all that, with Dembele leading the charge, the 27-year-old's case for the Ballon d'Or will be hard to ignore.

3. Mohamed Salah

Salah's authoring an all-time great season. With 27 goals and 17 assists through 29 games, he's well on his way to breaking the record for goal involvements in a single Premier League campaign (47). Plus, Liverpool are cruising toward a 20th English top-flight title. Just a few weeks ago, Salah was the overwhelming favorite here.

However, he's since cooled off, and Liverpool's Champions League exit in the round of 16 seriously dented his chances in a year where the competition will loom large on voting. Liverpool's League Cup final loss didn't help either. What once looked like a potential quadruple-winning season has petered out somewhat, likely taking Salah's Ballon d'Or chances down with it.

2. Kylian Mbappe

Mbappe has burst into life at Real Madrid, overcoming personal issues that cost him time with the French national team while acclimating himself to his new club. He took the keys to Madrid's attack with a second-leg hat-trick in their 3-1 win over Manchester City in the Champions League knockout playoff round. He also outperformed teammates Rodrygo and Vinicius Junior in the lead-up to the March international break.

Mbappe has his pace back - he was missing that final step in the opening months of the season - and is forcing defenders to backpedal as they did when he spearheaded Paris Saint-Germain's attack. If Madrid make another deep Champions League run, Mbappe, who's on 30 goals and counting, could conceivably finish as top scorer in La Liga and Europe.

1. Raphinha

As evidenced by having three other players on this list, Barcelona's success this season has been a collective effort. But make no mistake, Raphinha is leading the way. The Brazilian, a club captain, has benefitted most from Flick's direct style that emphasizes quick, vertical play.

Raphinha's creativity and clinical finishing have helped lift Barcelona to the top spot in La Liga, where he has 21 goal involvements. He's been even better in the Champions League, leading the competition with 11 tallies in 10 games. This summer's lack of marquee international events means the Champions League will carry more weight for voters, putting him in a strong position to become the first Barcelona player since Messi to win this award.

Keep an eye on:

• Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool and Netherlands)
• Julian Alvarez (Atletico Madrid and Argentina)
• Jamal Musiala (Bayern Munich and Germany)