Three Africans are among the top 30 Ballon d’Or list
The 2025 Ballon d’Or ceremony in Paris yesterday night had three African players in the top 30 men’s rankings.
This is an improvement over the rankings from the previous year, when the lone African player in the top 30 was Ademola Lookman, a Nigerian international. Due in large part to his valiant hat-trick for Atalanta against Bayer Leverkusen in the UEFA Europa League final, he was placed 14th.
Attacker Ousmane Dembélé of Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and France won the prize, followed by Lamine Yamal of Barcelona and Spain in second place and Vitinha of PSG and Portugal in third.
Mohamed Salah, a winger for Liverpool and Egypt, finished fourth in the rankings, making him the highest-ranked African player.
In order to help Liverpool win the Premier League, Salah was essential. The Egyptian tied Alan Shearer and Andy Cole for the most goal involvements in a Premier League season in history with 29 goals and 18 assists.
Prior to PSG ending Liverpool’s European campaign, he scored seven goals in nine Champions League games the previous season.
As the first player in history to win the coveted PFA Players’ Player of the Year award in three consecutive seasons, Salah was recognized for the third time. For the third time in his career, he was also named the Premier League Player of the Season.
Achraf Hakimi of PSG received sixth place in the Ballon d’Or rankings for his 2024–2025 season accomplishments.
The Moroccan international, along with teammates Dembélé, Vitinha, Marquinhos, Nuno Mendes, and Gianluigi Donnarumma, was selected for the UEFA Champions League Team of the Season.
The adaptable defender was a standout in PSG’s Champions League-winning campaign, helping the team win the European Championship for the first time ever. Additionally, he played a key role in the team’s fourth straight Ligue 1 championship. Additionally, he assisted the team in winning the UEFA Super Cup, the Trophée des Champions, and the Coupe de France.
The 26-year-old also assisted PSG in making it to the FIFA Club World Cup final, when Chelsea defeated them 3-0 to deny them another championship.
The final African player to place in the top 30 for the award was Serhou Guirassy of Borussia Dortmund and Guinea.
With 21 goals and two assists in 30 league games and 13 goals and four assists in 13 Champions League games, Guirassy was a standout player for Dortmund in both the Bundesliga and the Champions League last season.
Dortmund lost the opening leg 4-0 away from home against Barcelona in the quarterfinals of the continental championship. In the second leg of the match at Signal Iduna Park, Guirassy made his impact by scoring a hat-trick and nearly saving his team from elimination. Dortmund’s own goal in the 54th minute, however, widened Barcelona’s lead overall, and the German team was unable to find the two goals they needed to force extra time.
