Ballon d’Or merit system ranking places Dembelé first, Yamal second, and Raphinha third

Zonal Sports’ website updated ranking The top ten nominees as of today, Thursday. It decides on the award, provided that no political or commercial interests interfere in the final decisions. If the Ballon d’Or were awarded strictly on merit—on raw impact, silverware, and irrefutable performance metrics—these are the top ten, starting from the tenth down to the first.

1. Ousmane Dembélé (Paris Saint-Germain) – 135.50 points

Dembélé led PSG to the league, the Coupe de France, and their first-ever Champions League title. With 21 Ligue 1 goals and six assists, plus 14 goal involvements in the UCL, he delivered in every critical moment—assisting in both legs of the quarters, scoring and assisting vs Arsenal, and capping it all with two assists in the 5-0 final demolition of Inter. He scored every 73 minutes. 

He is the Ligue 1 leader in almost every offensive metric. This includes goals scored, chances generated, total shots on goal, total goal contribution, goal per shot and passes into penalty area. This is not just a story of a comeback. This is a coronation.This would be the top 10 if football was honest. No sponsors. No sentiment. No sentiment. Just the game. And Dembélé? He was the one who owned it.

2. Lamine Yamal (Barcelona) – 120.97 points

Yamal was 17 years old when he became the youngest UCL semifinal scorer, and La Liga champion. The nine goals and thirteen assists he has scored in 31 appearances do not tell the full story. He completed 14 dribbles during a UCL match and made every final that he played a statement. He broke records, he broke lines and he broke grown men. Without PSG’s treble he would already be the Ballon d’Or.

3. Raphinha (Barcelona) – 113.20 points

Raphinha had a great season. With 18 league goals, nine assists, and a historic Champions League showing—21 goal involvements to match Ronaldo’s 2014 record—he became the first player to top both goals and assists charts in a single UCL season. His hat-trick against Bayern broke psychological barriers—seven direct goal involvements across four Clásicos. Raphinha is third in the Champions League despite Yamal’s brilliance.

4. Vitinha (Paris Saint-Germain) – 109.59 points

Vitinha shows what happens when maturity meets talent. He had six goals and two assists in the UCL. His pass accuracy was 95 percent. He controlled the midfield in the quarters of the Villa game with 164 touches. He lacked a decisive moment, though, in the Champions League. Ballon d’Ors are awarded on nights such as semi-finals and finals, despite his undeniable influence. Vitinha was PSG’s compass—but not the hero.

5. Mohamed Salah (Liverpool) – 104.36 points

Mo Salah scored 29 goals and provided 18 assists during a Premier League title-winning campaign. The Egyptian magician began all 38 league games, contributing 86% to them. Yet, in the Champions League—where legends are made—his light dimmed. PSG knocked Liverpool from the Champions League, and Salah disappeared. It’s not a crime to be one of world’s top players, but by 2025, Salah wasn’t.

6. João Neves (Paris Saint-Germain) – 104.33 pointsNeves was the silent architect of PSG’s triple. At just 20, he registered a 91 per cent passing success rate, made 57 successful tackles in the Champions League—a mark untouched since Gattuso’s 2009 run—and bossed Pep’s City in the quarters. He recorded seven tackles versus Arsenal and was a key part of PSG’s defensive shape. It’s all about function and no flair. Portuguese international is also ranked in the top 10 of all players for blocks, touches and progressive passes. Neves’s name may not appear in highlight reels, yet he’s a Ballon d’Or candidate based on pure footballing currency.

7. Achraf Hakimi (Paris Saint-Germain) – 102.335 points

Hakimi redefined what a wingback is in 2025. Moroccan Hakimi blitzed PSG with his six goals, fourteen assists and unmatched endurance while also organising the play from deeper position. The semi-final strike against Arsenal and the goal in the final match against Inter were added to his impressive resume. Media downplayed the case of his career, citing lack “of a signature moment”. He is the most complete and most underrated full-back of the season. Brilliant is a term that is highly disputed.

8. Pedri (Barcelona) – 95.89 points

A year ago Pedri wasn’t as strong. Now, he’s ironclad. Pedri has finally lived up to his promise of being a world-class player. With four La Liga and five Champions League goals and an impressive Champions League campaign that was marked by vision, durability and endurance, Pedri delivered. He missed only one match during the season. His passing accuracy was 89%, and he created six crucial chances in just Benfica’s game. But Pedri lacked iconic moments in the Champions League knockout stages—a vital Ballon d’Or litmus test.

9. Robert Lewandowski (Barcelona) – 93.24 points

Lewandowski, 36, is a statistical wonder. He has scored 27 goals in the league and another 11 in the Champions League. He flourished in the 2024-2025 season, with his efficiency—a 23 per cent conversion rate—mirroring his xG to the decimal. The Polish icon was a constant in the Barcelona locker room, even during the coaching transitions. Lewa is no longer the star of decisive Champions League nights. His brilliance has been eclipsed by flashier, younger narratives.

10. Nuno Mendes (Paris Saint-Germain) – 93.00 points

Nuno is a rare left-back to be mentioned in Ballon d’Or debates, but he’s not your average defender. In a PSG treble-winning campaign, Nuno Mendes was electric at both ends of pitch. The two assists he made and the two goals he scored in Aston Villa’s quarter-final against PSG redefined what can be done by a full-back. In the defensive zone, he held his own in 25 one on one duels, shutting down Liverpool’s flank right over two legs. Though outshone by Dembélé’s attacking brilliance, Mendes was the iron spine of PSG’s left corridor. Unfortunately, the judges will continue to be captivated by strikers’ brilliance.