Ballon d'Or 2025 power ranking: Can Salah still win it?
by Thobelani Moyo | by Yunchu Li
The Egyptian King commits to club
Just days after addressing the elephant in the room regarding his future at Anfield by signing a two-year contract, Mohamed Salah made headlines once again over the weekend in a Premier League match against West Ham United.
The Egyptian King, who has been thriving under the guidance of new boss Arne Slot, needed just one assist or goal to surpass Thierry Henry's goal involvement in a single Premier League season (44).
Oh boy, did he not deliver when he made a chef's kiss pass for Luis Diaz to bring his goal involvement to 45. This is just in a 38-match season. At this point, he has become a Liverpool legend.
Can Salah win the 2025 Ballon d’Or?
The question remains the same: Is that enough to see him clinch the 2025 Ballon d’Or?
Winning the Champions League was going to be a great start or a significant push, in all honesty. However, after Liverpool's shock elimination from the last 16 at the hands of Paris Saint-Germain, the 32-year-old's chances have hit a major blow.
Let's not be too quick to write him off yet. The Egyptian international has scored 27 goals and provided 18 assists for Liverpool this season—that adds up to the 45-goal involvement mentioned in the third paragraph. His numbers are the reason the club is atop the Premier League table with a 13-point lead over second-placed Arsenal.
Nobody said it was going to be easy to win the coveted individual award. If that was the case, then taking candy from the baby was going to be much easier. However, let's find out what Mohamed Salah needs to do to stay in this race and win the voters' hearts:
- Guide Liverpool to their first league title since 2020.
- Keep on contributing to his involvement goal this season and hit a milestone.
- Hope that the nominated nominees for the Ballon d'Or fade late in the season or suffer a Champions League setback.
The Competition and Ballon d’Or Power Rankings
Salah faces tough competition in his push for a first Ballon d'Or. Notable names include the likes of Raphinha (Barcelona), Lamine Yamal (Barcelona), Harry Kane (Bayern Munich), Real Madrid duo Kylian Mbappe, and Vinicius Junior. These are just some of the contenders, but let's dive deep into the Ballon d'Or power rankings and see the other names contending for the award:
| Ballon d'Or Power Rankings | ||
|---|---|---|
| Rank | Name | Club |
| 1 | Raphinha | Barcelona |
| 2 | Lamine Yamal | Barcelona |
| 3 | Robert Lewandowski | Barcelona |
| 4 | Ousmane Dembele | Paris Saint-Germain |
| 5 | Mohamed Salah | Liverpool |
| 6 | Kylian Mbappe | Real Madrid |
| 7 | Harry Kane | Bayern Munich |
| 8 | Vinicius Junior | Real Madrid |
| 9 | Bukayo Saka | Arsenal |
| 10 | Vitinha | Paris Saint-Germain |
| 11 | Declan Rice | Arsenal |
| 12 | Jude Bellingham | Real Madrid |
| 13 | Lautaro Martinez | Inter Milan |
| 14 | Pedri | Barcelona |
| 15 | Jamal Musiala | Bayern Munich |
| 16 | Nicolo Barella | Inter Milan |
| 17 | Virgil van Dijk | Liverpool |
| 18 | Federico Valverde | Real Madrid |
| 19 | Julian Alvarez | Atletico Madrid |
| 20 | Alexander Isak | Newcastle United |
Final Thoughts
Mohamed Salah's chances of winning the 2025 Ballon d'Or have taken a huge blow. Recent history shows that for the individual award to be obtained, a player has to go as far as winning Europe's elite competition. For Salah, that won't be happening because of his team's early exit from the Champions League. The Premier League title alone does not move the dial much on its own; however, combined with his individual brilliance for Liverpool this season, it could certainly strengthen his case.
