Rivaldo snubbed Mo Salah and Vinicius Jr when naming two favourites to win 2025 Ballon d'Or

Mohamed Salah is a "strong candidate" for the Ballon d'Or alongside Vinicius Junior but two Barcelona players are currently leading the race, according to former Brazil striker Rivaldo.

As we enter the final stages of the 2024/25 campaign, talk around the Ballon d'Or and who deserves to lift the prestigious trophy is rife.

There is still a lot of football to be played, including the Champions League final – an event that can often decide the winner – but that hasn't stopped fans and pundits making their early predictions.

Speaking to CBS Sports on Tuesday night, Thierry Henry named Barcelona winger Raphinha as the frontrunner following an impressive campaign in Europe's elite competition.

"Raphinha is ahead, yes, with the Ballon d’Or," Henry said on CBS Sports. "Because of what he is doing in the Champions League, he is on 11 goals in the Champions League."

Henry added: "What Raphinha is doing on top of defending and pressure. When people talk about being complete, as a striker you need to know how to put pressure on and defend, and help your full-back and press well, it’s a lot of things that you need to do and Raphinha has it all."

Somebody who agrees with Henry is former Barcelona striker Rivaldo.

The 52-year-old, who won the Ballon d'Or in 1999 following a stellar season with the Catalan giants, believes Raphinha is an "outstanding candidate" for the award alongside teenage sensation Lamine Yamal.

“Right now I don’t see anyone ahead of Lamine and Raphinha in the race to win the Ballon d’Or,” he said in January.

“Maybe if we look outside of Spain, Salah is a strong candidate for his season and Vinicius will always be there. All this will depend a lot on Barcelona and the conquest of collective titles, but both are having a great season."

Yamal and Raphinha continue to shine for Barca. Image credit: Getty

Rivaldo continued: “Yamal is showing great confidence in Barcelona and plays with a maturity much greater than his age.

"Raphinha is also a strong candidate for the Ballon d’Or. Especially for how he has been playing lately, scoring goals, giving assists and showing great confidence in the field. He is playing with creativity and determination, which makes him an outstanding candidate for the award."

Who is your early contender? Let us know in the comments.