Topics: Kylian Mbappe, Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid, Cristiano Ronaldo, Ballon d'Or
Kylian Mbappe and Cristiano Ronaldo are in agreement on who should win this year's Ballon d'Or, with both clear in their selection.
The coveted individual prize will be handed out in September, with nominees expected to be announced next month.
The award, currently held by Manchester City midfielder Rodri, will be based on the period between 1 August 2024 and 31 July 2025, with a number of stars in contention for the gong.
Mbappe's highest position in the Ballon d'Or rankings was fourth in 2018 after he won the World Cup, while he will be hoping to improve on his sixth placed finish last term.
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A triumph in the ongoing, revamped Club World Cup tournament with Real Madrid could help his chances, with Los Blancos taking on Champions League winners and Mbappe's former side Paris Saint-Germain in a star-studded semi-final on Wednesday.
The winner will play Chelsea or Fluminense, who square off in the other semi-final at the MetLife Stadium on Tuesday evening.
But irrespective of the outcome, Mbappe has already decided that his compatriot Ousmane Dembele should pip Barcelona and Spain sensation Lamine Yamal to the award after scoring 34 goals as PSG won the treble under Luis Enrique.
Speaking last month, Mbappe said: “Would I vote for Dembele [to win the 2025 Ballon d’Or]? Yes. I don’t think it needs much explaining. “People are talking about Lamine Yamal and Dembélé, but my choice is clear: I vote for Dembélé.”
Yamal and Dembele came up against one another in the Nations League semi-finals, with Spain beating France 5-4 before losing to Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal on penalties in the final at the Allianz Arena.
Ronaldo, meanwhile, is in agreement with Mbappe's pick as he stated that "those who stand out and win the Champions League should win", naming Dembele and his compatriot Vitinha.
"The individual awards have lost some consensus; I can’t say anything about who should win," the five-time Ballon d'Or winner said in a press conference.
"In my opinion, those who stand out and win the Champions League should win. But there is no consensus. I don’t believe much in individual awards because I know what goes on behind the scenes. Lamine could win, like Dembele or Vitinha, other emerging players… But individual awards are irrelevant."
Dembele is the favourite to win the Ballon d'Or, with odds of 2/7 with Bet365. Yamal follows behind with odds of 3/1, just ahead of Vitinha at 8/1.
Mbappe is the fourth favourite with the bookmaker, with Bet365 having his chances of winning at a 16/1.
The top 10 is dominated by PSG stars, including Achraf Hakimi, Nuno Mendes, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Gianluigi Donnarumma
Ousmane Dembele - 2/7
Lamine Yamal - 3/1
Vitinha - 8/1
Kylian Mbappe - 16/1
Mo Salah 20/1
Achraf Hakimi - 25/1
Nuno Mendes - 25/1
Raphinha - 33/1
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia - 40/1
Gianluigi Donnarumma - 50/1
