- Real Madrid eliminated Manchester City from the Champions League with an outstanding Kylian Mbappe hat-trick.
- This season, with minimal international competition, the Champions League is likely to play a significant role in the discussion for the Ballon d'Or award.
- .co.ke examines the favorites for the award with Erling Haaland now firmly out of the running for a first-ever Golden Ball.
The 2025 Champions League suffered its first defeat after Manchester City was eliminated in the knockout playoffs round of the new format.
The English champions' difficult season continued as Kylian Mbappe scored a hat-trick to lead Real Madrid past a struggling Pep Guardiola team.
Mbappe has recently experienced a significant improvement in his performance in Spain, overcoming an initial difficult period, with his confidence and awareness in front of goal continually increasing with each passing minute.
There have been numerous updates to the 2025 Ballon d'Or rankings.
The 2025 Ballon d'Or discussion is expected to gain momentum as the Champions League advances to its more intense stages. The Real Madrid vs Manchester City matchup served as a reminder of how last season's competition unfolded, with Rodri ultimately edging out Vinicius Junior for the Golden Ball.
Considers who would be the winner of the 2025 Ballon d'Or if the award ceremony were held today.
5. Harry Kane - Bayern Munich/England
Tottenham's Harry Kane has repeatedly earned Ballon d'Or nominations despite not having won a trophy, which some of his competitors have achieved.
This appears to be the season that could take a decisive turn with Bayern Munich holding an eight-point advantage in the Bundesliga standings. They have also secured a spot in the Champions League Round of 16 and retain a strong position as a top contender to win, thanks to the strength of their squad.
The Three Lions captain was substituted out at halftime against Celtic, and the extent of the calf injury he suffered remains uncertain, which may affect how long he will be sidelined. Kane has scored 29 goals and provided 10 assists in 31 appearances so far this season.
4. Kylian Mbappé - Real Madrid/France
There's no equivalent text to paraphrase.
attack.
It's still too early to declare the La Liga champion, as only one point separates the top three teams, but it's inevitable that Mbappe will have a significant impact on the outcome.
Madrid are a different team when it comes to Europe and if they keep playing at their peak as they did against City, Mbappe could win his first title and be on track to win the Ballon d'Or on home soil later this year.
The player has scored 27 goals and provided three assists so far this season.
3. Robert Lewandowski - Barcelona/Poland
The notion of aging like fine wine is apt when describing Robert Lewandowski, who, at 36 years old, remains one of the most potent strikers in Europe, still going strong.
He is the most seasoned and oldest member of the young Barcelona squad, and that has contributed significantly with 32 goals and three assists to his credit.
Like Mbappe, he will have a significant influence on whether the La Liga trophy is awarded to a particular team at the end of the season. They are also strong contenders for the Champions League title, as indicated by their impressive league performance so far.
Is this the year he makes up for the disappointment of 2020?
2. Raphinha - Barcelona/Brazil
Let's be honest, the version of Raphinha you've seen this season is quite intimidating, isn't it?
We might give Lewandowski all the praise for scoring, but none of that would be possible without the ingenuity of Raphinha.
The trophy is being pursued on multiple fronts.
The former Leeds United star has 24 goals and 15 assists, a total that already surpasses Vinicius Junior's contribution from last season, when he was a top contender for the Ballon d'Or.
1. Mohamed Salah - Liverpool/Egypt
Who else? If the Ballon d'Or award ceremony took place today and Mohamed Salah didn't win, it would be an even greater act of robbery than the infamous 1990 theft of the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum.
The Egyptian King has been the driving force and catalyst of Liverpool's attack, enabling Arne Slot to secure a first Premier League title in his inaugural season.
Salah has achieved an impressive 29 goals and 20 assists in just 27 matches this season. The treble is no longer a possibility, but Liverpool still has a chance to succeed in the Carabao Cup, Premier League, and the Champions League, where they excelled in the league stage.
Can he become the first African to win it since George Weah in 1994?