The competition for the 2025 Ballon d’Or got more interesting after Chelsea’s big win at the FIFA Club World Cup in the United States.
Chelsea defeated Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) 3-0 in the final on Sunday night to win the Club World Cup.
Cole Palmer scored twice in the first half and Joao Pedro added one more goal, helping Chelsea claim victory over the French side at the MetLife Stadium.
A few players stood out during the tournament and were recognised with individual awards.
Cole Palmer was named the Best Player of the Tournament. PSG’s Desire Doué won the Best Young Player award, Chelsea’s Robert Sánchez was named Best Goalkeeper, and Real Madrid’s Gonzalo Garcia became the tournament’s top scorer.
With the Ballon d’Or ceremony coming up in September, many football fans and analysts are now discussing who deserves the award after the Club World Cup ended.
Palmer’s brilliant performance in the tournament has brought him into the conversation, especially since he ended the 2024/25 season as Chelsea’s highest goal contributor with 15 goals and 11 assists.
Still, the Club World Cup didn’t cause major changes in the general Ballon d’Or rankings.
Here’s how the updated rankings look after the Club World Cup:
- Harry Kane (Bayern Munich) – Scored 26 goals and won the Bundesliga.
- Pedri (Barcelona) – Won La Liga, Copa del Rey and Supercopa.
- Cole Palmer (Chelsea) – 15 goals and 11 assists, including 3 from the Club World Cup. Won the Europa Conference League and Club World Cup. Named Best Player of the Tournament.
- Fabian Ruiz (PSG) – Won the UEFA Champions League, Ligue 1, Serie A, and Coupe de France.
- Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (PSG) – 14 goals, 11 assists, and same trophies as Ruiz.
- Desire Doué (PSG) – 15 goals, 16 assists. Won the UCL, Ligue 1, Coupe de France, and Trophee des Champions.
- Kylian Mbappe (Real Madrid) – 38 goals, 7 assists. Won the UEFA Super Cup and Intercontinental Cup.
- Mohamed Salah (Liverpool) – 36 goals, 24 assists. Helped Liverpool win the Premier League.
- Achraf Hakimi (PSG) – 11 goals, 15 assists. Won UCL, Ligue 1, Coupe de France and Trophee des Champions.
- Lamine Yamal (Barcelona) – 21 goals, 26 assists. Won La Liga, Copa del Rey, and Supercopa.
- Raphinha (Barcelona) – 39 goals, 25 assists. Same trophies as Yamal.
- Vitinha (PSG) – 7 goals, 6 assists. Won UCL, Ligue 1, Coupe de France, Trophee des Champions, and Nations League.
- Ousmane Dembele (PSG) – 38 goals, 14 assists. Won UCL, Ligue 1, Coupe de France, and Trophee des Champions.
Cool FM’s Taiwo Babajide spoke with DAILY POST and shared his view on the Ballon d’Or outcome following the Club World Cup. He believes the tournament didn’t change much and that Dembele is still the favourite to win the award, mainly because of his standout Champions League performance.
He admitted Palmer had an excellent game, but said it’s unlikely that would be enough to take the top spot from Dembele.
Babajide clearly stated that no Chelsea player is currently a serious contender for the Ballon d’Or.
Austine Akhilomen, a freelance sports journalist with Completesports, also agreed that Chelsea players entered the race too late, even though their win against PSG was impressive.
He said Palmer performed well at the Club World Cup but that this alone isn’t enough to make him a strong Ballon d’Or candidate.
According to Akhilomen, Chelsea players won’t reach the top three, though Palmer might make it into the top 10 — and that’s already a big achievement.
He listed his top picks for the award as Dembele, Salah, Hakimi, Mbappe, Yamal, and Raphinha.
