The race for this year's Ballon d'Or is a fascinating one, with a number of star players in the running. It remains to be seen who will win, but it seems every football player, fan, and pundit alike has their own personal favourite.
Paris Saint-Germain's Achraf Hakimi has even touted himself as a winner, even though teammates Ousmane Dembele and Vitinha are more likely contenders. The Champions League winners were always going to have a few players in the running, but Barcelona also have a couple of strong shouts.
Following his loan move from Manchester United to the Spanish club, Marcus Rashford is now playing alongside two potential winners in Lamine Yamal and Raphinha. Talking recently to Spanish outlet SPORT, Rashford spoke about who could win the Ballon d'Or in 2025. He couldn't settle on just one player, though, insisting that three stars 'deserve' the prize this year.
Ousmane Dembele
ousmane dembele psg
As alluded to before, Dembele ranks as the number one option for a lot of people. After all, he was Paris Saint-Germain's star man as they won their first-ever Champions League title, thrashing Inter Milan 5-0 in the final. He actually finished the season with a treble under his belt, as he also won Ligue 1 and Coupe de France.
Having added a UEFA Super Cup in 2025/26 to his trophy cabinet hasn't harmed his cause either. With all that in mind, it's hard to argue with Paul Pogba, who has tipped his former France teammate as a winner, while Harry Kane also believes Dembele would be a worthy champion.
Ousmane Dembele for PSG in 2024/25
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Raphinha
Raphinha
Rashford's next claim is the very man he's competing with for a spot in the Barcelona XI. Indeed, the Englishman will have his eye on the left-wing position under Hansi Flick, but he might have to play plenty of football down the middle as a striker instead, as Raphinha won't give up that position with ease.
The Brazilian had a stellar campaign in 2024/25, scoring 34 goals and claiming 25 assists as Barca won La Liga as well as the Copa del Rey. Ever the humble footballer, Raphinha has actually named as many as six other stars who could claim the prize ahead of him. It seems unlikely that all six of them will finish ahead of him in the race for the Ballon d'Or this time around.
Raphinha for Barcelona in 2024/25
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Lamine Yamal
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The other contender Rashford named also happened to be a new Barcelona teammate. However, it's not as though bias played a part in this call, with many already feeling as though Yamal is the best player in the world. Like Raphinha, the talented teen had an astonighly good season last term and he's started his new campaign in fine form too, getting a goal and an assist in the opening La Liga game.
"If he doesn't win it this year, another year he will win," Rashford said of Yamal, before naming his three favourites:
"I think him [Yamal, Dembele, Raphinha, they all deserve it. It's really difficult to pick one, but for me, I think they are all mature people, and they understand the three of them have had a fantastic season. "But for Lamine, he is so young that he is going to win for sure in the future."
"He's a top talent, a top player," Rashford said. "The thing that’s most surprising is he’s very mature in the way he plays football and thinks about football. He is way beyond his age.
"It's definitely exciting to play with him and a lot of other players as well."
The Englishman continued: "For his age, he’s the most talented player, not only that I've ever played with but that I’ve seen.
"I don’t think I’ve watched a player with this type of impact. Maybe Ronaldo [Nazario], 'The Phenomenon'.
"To have that impact at a young age so consistently is unbelievable. He has a long career ahead of him, and I hope he maintains his level and even improves."
He concluded: "As a person, he is an 18-year-old boy. He is always having fun, always laughing, he likes to play pranks with the other players. But this is refreshing to be in a dressing room with so many young players. It reminds me of when I was his age."
Lamine Yamal for Barcelona in 2024/25
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