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What would you choose as the recipient of this award if its decision was made on merit and not by politics or party affiliation? | Credit: Shutterstock
Zonal Sports is here! ranking The news outlet updated its list of top ten candidates 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.
10. Nuno Mendes (Paris Saint-Germain) – 93.00 points
Nuno Mendes, a left-back who rarely makes the Ballon d’Or list, is not your typical defender. In a PSG treble-winning campaign, Nuno Mendes was electric from both sides of the field. In the quarter-final match against Aston Villa, his two assists and two goal redefined what can be done by a full-back in modern times. In two legs, he held his own in 25 one on one duels, shutting down Liverpool’s right side. Though outshone by Dembélé’s attacking brilliance, Mendes was the iron spine of PSG’s left corridor. Unfortunately, despite the defensive geniuses’ brilliance, the judges will continue to focus on strikers.
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 kept Barcelona’s attacking unit together through coaching changes and, despite Raphinha and Yamal’s rise, was the heart of the locker room. Lewa is no longer the star of decisive Champions League nights. His brilliance has been eclipsed by flashier, younger narratives.
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.
7. Achraf Hakimi (Paris Saint-Germain) – 102.335 points
Hakimi redefined what a wingback is in 2025. Moroccan Hakimi dominated PSG’s right flank with his six goals, fourteen assists and unmatched endurance. 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 still the best full-back in the league, despite being overlooked. Brilliant is a term that is highly disputed.
6. João Neves (Paris Saint-Germain) – 104.33 points
Neves 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. All function, no flair. Portuguese international Neves also ranks among the top 10 in terms of touches, passes and blocks. Neves’s name may not appear in highlight reels, yet he’s a Ballon d’Or candidate on pure footballing value.
5, Mohamed Salah (Liverpool) – 104.36 points
Mo Salah contributed 18 assists and 29 goals to a Premier League season that won the title. The Egyptian magician played in all 38 matches of the league, and contributed to 86% of them. Yet, in the Champions League—where legends are made—his light dimmed. PSG eliminated Liverpool and Salah was missing. It’s not a crime to be one of world’s top players. But in 2025, Salah wasn’t.
4. Vitinha (Paris Saint-Germain) – 109.59 points
Vitinha shows what happens when maturity meets talent. He scored six goals, had two assists, 95 percent pass accuracy, and recovered 5.6 times per game in the UCL. He controlled the midfield in the quarter-finals against Villa with 164 touches. In the Champions League, however, he did not have the decisive moment. 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.
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.
2, Lamine Yamal (Barcelona) – 120.97 points
Yamal, at 17 years of age, became the UCL semi-finalist and La Liga Champion. Nine goals and 13 assist in 31 starts do not tell the entire story. He danced his way through Inter’s defense, completed 14 passes in one UCL leg and made each final he participated in a statement. He broke records, he broke lines and he broke grown men. He would have won the Ballon d’Or if not for PSG’s treble.
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 isn’t just a tale of redemption. It’s an inauguration.If football was honest, these would be your top 10 Ballon d’Or. No sponsors. No sentiment. No sentiment. Just the game. And Dembélé? He was the one who owned it.
