Football Match Report's

Look where Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka is now ranked among the best players in the Ballon d’Or now…. Check out the full list in the comment

Published

4 months ago

December 12, 2024

Nathinab07@gmail.com

Ranking factors

We’ve determined the order based on the following:

Goals scored

Assists

Clean sheets (if defensive-minded)

Trophies won/challenged for (expected to)

Big moments in the 2024/25 season

General form

Ballon d’Or Power Rankings

Rank

Player

Club

Country

Position

Mohamed Salah

Liverpool

Egypt

Forward

Vinicius Junior

Real Madrid

Brazil

Forward

Erling Haaland

Manchester City

Norway

Forward

Lamine Yamal

Barcelona

Spain

Forward

Robert Lewandowski

Barcelona

Poland

Forward

Harry Kane

Bayern Munich

England

Forward

Raphinha

Barcelona

Brazil

Forward

Kylian Mbappe

Real Madrid

England

Forward

Jude Bellingham

Real Madrid

England

Midfield

10.

Bukayo Saka

Arsenal

England

Forward

11.

Cole Palmer

Chelsea

England

Forward

12.

Florian Wirtz

Bayer Leverkusen

Germany

Forward

13.

Jamal Musiala

Bayern Munich

Germany

Midfielder

14.

Virgil van Dijk

Liverpool

Netherlands

Defender

15.

Lautaro Martinez

Inter Milan

Argentina

Forward

16.

Federico Valverde

Real Madrid

Uruguay

Midfielder

17.

Gavi

Barcelona

Spain

Midfielder

18.

Pedri

Barcelona

Spain

Midfielder

19.

William Saliba

Arsenal

France

Defender

20.

Phil Foden

Manchester City

England

Forward

10Bukayo Saka

Arsenal & England

After finishing 21st in the 2024 rankings, Bukayo Saka will be looking to make leaps and bounds, both in terms of his overall position and in his game as a whole over the next 12 months. The fearless winger has gone from strength to strength under Mikel Arteta’s leadership and is more often than not one of the most consistent performers in the Premier League.

Up until now, Saka has improved his goal contributions season by season and will be hoping this term is no exception. So far so good, of course, with him shouldering much of his side’s creative burden in Martin Odegaard’s absence. If that is the case, it could be enough for him to smash his way into the top 10.

Bukayo Saka for Arsenal in 2024/25

Games

Goals

Assists

9Jude Bellingham

Real Madrid & England

There were not many fans that foresaw how much of an impact Jude Bellingham would make on Real Madrid’s aspirations upon the news that he was swapping Borussia Dortmund for the Spanish top flight – but the lanky midfielder, a 40-cap England international, notched a lofty 23 goals and a further 13 assists across all competitions.

While his goal contributions (four goals and five assists) for Carlo Ancelotti and co. have not been as fruitful since the new campaign got underway, the Stourbridge-born ace has been just as influential from a deeper position with him now tasked with running the Madrid-based engine room alongside the likes of Aurelien Tchouameni and Eduardo Camavinga.

Jude Bellingham for Real Madrid in 2024/25

Games

Goals

Assists

8Kylian Mbappe

Real Madrid & France

It feels like an inevitability that at some point in his career, Kylian Mbappe will stand on the top of the podium lifting the famous golden ball. The French forward has been touted as a future successor to Messi and Ronaldo, but now in his mid-twenties, he has still not achieved his destiny.

At Real Madrid, despite the fact they claim to feel disrespected by France Football, he has a stronger chance than he did previously at Paris Saint-Germain. The only issue now is that he is not the only superstar in the Spanish capital looking to win the award, and he is yet to make an overly impressive start to life at his new club.

Kylian Mbappe for Real Madrid in 2024/25

Games

Goals

Assists

7Raphinha

Barcelona & Brazil

Formerly the posterboy of Marcelo Bielsa’s Leeds United, Raphinha has begun to silence the critics with his combination of firepower and trickery becoming all too much for defenders in the Spanish top tier. Eyebrows were certainly raised when Barcelona, one of the biggest teams in the world, forked out for the Brazilian

But it has been Hansi Flick and his entourage who have enjoyed the last laugh with Raphinha, 27, hitting incredible numbers in the infancy of 2024/25 (16 goals and ten assists in 21 outings). Whether his potency in the final third is sustainable remains a question mark – but if Blaugrana add further silverware to their stacked trophy cabinet, who says no?

Raphinha for Real Madrid in 2024/25

Games

Goals

Assists

6Harry Kane

Bayern Munich & England

A trophy-hungry Harry Kane will be motivated by silverware this season after his disappointments with both Bayern Munich and England over the last 12 months. While that may be his primary goal, his role in achieving that could line him up for plenty of individual acclaim.

Goals are the name of the game, and Kane is a master at scoring them. If he is able to bring domestic trophies and maybe even a European one to Allianz, and continue his early fine form, there could be no stopping England’s greatest-ever forward.

Harry Kane for Bayern Munich in 2024/25

Games

Goals

Assists

Every British Player to Finish in the Top Three of the Ballon d’Or [Ranked]

5Robert Lewandowski

Barcelona & Poland

There were fears among some that Robert Lewandowski was beginning a slow decline last season, as the usually talismanic goalscorer was no longer reaching the heights that fans had come to expect from him. Father time does catch up with everyone, and it appeared the former Bayern Munich star was no exception.

However, the arrival of Hansi Flick at the Nou Camp has reinvigorated the poacher, who is banging in goals like he is in his prime once again. Perhaps revenge is on the mind of the Polish frontman as he chases the Ballon d’Or title he was

robbed of in 2020.

Robert Lewandowski for Barcelona in 2024/25

Games

Goals

Assists

15 Greatest Footballers to Have Never Won the Ballon d’Or [Ranked]

4 Lamine Yamal

Barcelona & Spain

There has never been a teenage winner of the Ballon d’Or before, and the fact of the matter is, Lamine Yamal still has another couple of years to achieve this feat. If he continues his incredible upward trajectory, all bets are off as to whether or not he can really do it.

Having already put one of the biggest clubs in Europe on his back since he was 15 and helped lead his country to a European Championship at 16, Yamal is clearly a fearless individual who embodies the phrase “if you’re good enough, you’re old enough.” He’s broken several records already, but could this one potentially be his finest?

Lamine Yamal for Barcelona in 2024/25

Games

Goals

Assists

Ranking the 9 Youngest Ballon d’Or Winners in Football History

3Erling Haaland

Manchester City & Norway

By the standards Erling Haaland set in his first season at Manchester City, his follow-up campaign may have seemed a little underwhelming – even though he still claimed the Premier League Golden Boot. However, he came out flying this season around, and few players have started as dominantly as him.

Having already reached double digits domestically in no time at all, the former Borussia Dortmund man is on a mission to beat the aforementioned Mbappe in their race to become the first of the pair to win the Ballon d’Or. As far as next year’s award goes, it’s the City striker who currently leads that battle.

Erling Haaland for Manchester City in 2024/25

Games

Goals

Assists

2 Vinicius Junior

Real Madrid & Brazil

After refusing to attend the Ballon d’Or ceremony in 2024 once he found out he wasn’t going to win the award, Vinicius Jr may have to wait one more year before being crowned the first Brazilian since Kaka to claim the prestigious trophy. It’s understandable why the winger was caught off guard by the fact he didn’t win in the most recent go-around. After all, he had been the favourite even on the day of the gala.

It wasn’t meant to be for Vinicius, though, but if he can put in another campaign that is on par with or exceeds what he has done in the last couple of years, he may very well be among the front-runners in 12 months’ time. At the time of writing, he’s plundered 12 goals and eight assists in a topsy-turvy Los Blancos side.

Vinicius Junior for Real Madrid in 2024/25

Games

Goals

Assists

Vinicius Jr’s Awkward Insult to Gavi During Real Madrid 0-4 Barcelona

1Mohamed Salah

Liverpool & Egypt

A total of 21 goal contributions in his opening 14 Premier League games is a return that typifies Mohamed Salah’s impact at Liverpool ever since he made the move to Anfield. Despite the fact he is approaching the latter stages of his career, and that he is having to work with a new manager for the first time since arriving on Merseyside, the Egyptian King remains one of the Premier League’s very best players.

In fact, he seems to be getting even better with age. History has shown that statistical data is becoming all the more important when dictating who wins individual awards. As a result, Salah can never be ruled out when he is as efficient as he has been – especially if Liverpool reign victorious in the Premier League and/or Champions League at Slot’s first time of asking.

Mohamed Salah for Liverpool in 2024/25

Games

Goals

Assists

All statistics in this article are via Transfermarkt – correct as of 05/12/24.

Jude Bellingham

Ballon

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