Early Ballon d’Or 2025 Contenders as Vinicius Jr Awaits 2024 Coronation
- The 2024 Ballon Award has reportedly been decided, with the successor to Lionel Messi already informed of the decision
- Jude Bellingham, Rodri and Vinicius Junior were the frontrunners for the award after spectacular 2023/2024 seasons
- TUKO.co.ke now shifts gears and looks at the 2025 favourites, taking into consideration how the season has started
It is now slightly over a month until the 2024 Ballon d'Or award winner is announced.
A list of 30 nominees was unveiled on September 4, including the perceived frontrunners Jude Bellingham, Vinicius Junior, and Rodri.
Source: Getty Images
On Tuesday morning, Marca reported that Vinicius Junior had already been informed that he would be crowned the new winner on October 28. After starring in Real Madrid's record-extending triumph in the Champions League, there won't be much complaints that the Brazilian deserves the award.
2025 Ballon d'Or early favourites
With the prestigious award often looking at seasonal performances, the race for the 2025 award is now in full steam. The top leagues across Europe are already five or six games old with cup competitions in their infant stages as well.
Admittedly, it is still too early to call, but TUKO.co.ke looks at the potential favourites for the 2025 award in light of how the season has started.
5. Robert Lewandowski - Barcelona/Poland
The Pole striker seems reinvented in Spain after reuniting with his former manager Hansi Flick. He is already up to eight goal involvements in La Liga with Barcelona making a perfect start to the season.
The former Bayern Munich star is the most senior player in a Blaugrana squad laden with kids, and his experience would come in handy. Their Champions League campaign started on a rocky path, but if he can lead them to glory, he might as well avenge for missing out on the 2020 award.
4. Erling Haaland - Manchester City/Norway
Erling Haaland came as close as anyone to winning the award last year but, like many players before him, was undone by Lionel Messi's greatness.
The Manchester City striker is already into double figures in a Pep Guardiola side looking for a fifth top-flight title in a row.
However, Guardiola, and, by extension, Haaland have suffered a serious blow after Rodri picked up an ACL injury. Much of what the Citizens have done in recent seasons has gone through their midfield metronome, and his absence could jeopardise Haaland's chances of bagging trophies to stake a claim in the 2025 race.
3. Kylian Mbappe - Real Madrid/France
Kylian Mbappe has always been in the conversation since he took the world by storm in 2018 but has never had enough to get over the line. Many pundits put this down to the club he played for, but this time around, he will be competing for silverware with arguably the biggest club on land.
He has put behind his slow start to La Liga to score four goals. Mbappe will be keen on maintaining his lethal nature in front of goal and inspire Real Madrid to yet another European success to clinch his maiden Golden Ball.
2. Lamine Yamal - Barcelona/Spain
Name a better 17-year-old kid you've ever seen play football; we will wait. The things Lamine Yamal is doing at that age are crazy.
The Spanish ace is a shoo-in for this year's Kopa Trophy, and if his early season form is anything to go by, he might just as well become the youngest Ballon d'Or winner ever next year.
Yamal has everything you'd want in forward: flair, vision, shot power, skills, you name it. He has three goals and five assists in La Liga, plus that beautiful goal in their Champions League loss to Monaco.
If he keeps this pace and leads Barcelona to major trophies this season, it will be difficult to deny him the award come next summer.
1. Harry Kane - Bayern Munich/England
Surely, this is the season he will get his first trophy, right? Much has been said about Vincent Kompany's appointment as Bayern Munich's boss, but he has made a strong start in life in Bavaria.
Kane remains the leading man up front, with the Three Lions captain having nine goal involvements in the Bundesliga - almost twice as many as the next challenger. And we haven't included his four-goal haul in the Champions League yet.
He pips Yamal in our rankings because, on paper, Bayern have a better squad to win the Champions League than Flick's side. Plus, Kane's position as an accomplished out-and-out number 9 puts him in a vintage position to keep plundering goals to sell his case.
Disclaimer
As mentioned at the start, it is still too early to call. At this point last year, there was no indication Vinicius would challenge for the 2024 award, but a decent run in the second half of the season put him on top of the pile.
Other seasoned performers like Mohamed Salah, Vinicius himself, Bellingham, Kevin De Bruyne and others will want to have a say or two as the season progresses.
Ronaldo's Ballon d'Or advice to Vinicius
Legit.ng also reported that Vinicius had shared insights into the valuable Ballon d'Or advice he received from legendary Brazilian forward Ronaldo Nazario.
Reflecting on his quest for the prestigious award, Vini recounted a piece of wisdom imparted by Ronaldo, a two-time Ballon d'Or winner.
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Source: TUKO.co.ke
