The shortlist for the 2025 Ballon d’Or — the award that determines the best player of the season — has been officially announced.
Among the 30 players on the list, there are three African footballers. One of them is Egypt’s Mohamed Salah, who is considered among the top five favourites to win the prestigious award this year.
Salah led Liverpool to the Premier League title, finishing the season as both the league’s top scorer and top assist provider. Across all competitions, he recorded an impressive 34 goals and 23 assists.
DEMBELE SEEN AS THE FAVORITE
With PSG winning the UEFA Champions League, one of the team’s standout players, Ousmane Dembele, is widely regarded as the frontrunner for the Ballon d’Or. However, Salah is also seen as having a strong chance of claiming the award.
In addition to Salah, two other African players have also been nominated. One of them is Moroccan full-back Achraf Hakimi, who plays for PSG. The star defender has consistently performed at a high level for years.
The final African nominee on the list is Guinean striker Serhou Guirassy. In recent years, Guirassy has shown impressive development and currently shoulders the goal-scoring responsibilities at Borussia Dortmund.
However, compared to Hakimi and Salah, his chances of winning the award are significantly lower.