The Ballon d’Or is an annual award presented by France Football magazine. For the upcoming award ceremony, several Paris Saint-Germain players could be in contention to take home football’s top individual honor.
Two PSG players have won the Ballon d’Or immediately after leaving the club. The first was George Weah in 1995, and more recently, Lionel Messi in 2023. While their accomplishments at PSG contributed to them winning the award, it wasn’t the same as if they were still at the club. If you had to bet on football this season, you would have to like PSG’s chances to have a Ballon d’Or winner.
Ousmane Dembélé is the top contender for the Ballon d’Or. He completed the 2024-25 season with 33 goals and 15 assists in all competitions, including eight goals in the UEFA Champions League. He was absolutely crucial for PSG getting through the most difficult group stage draw of any other team and getting past Liverpool FC, Aston Villa FC, Arsenal FC, and ultimately, Inter Milan in the Champions League final, where he recorded two assists.
Dembélé and France came up short against Spain in the UEFA Nations League, but the PSG attacker will have a chance to add to his Ballon d’Or resume if PSG gets out of the group stage of the FIFA Club World Cup this summer.
As good as Dembélé has been this season, Achraf Hakimi deserves to be high on the list of contenders. The 26-year-old has cemented himself as the best right-back in the game, having scored nine goals and recorded 14 assists in a season. He scored a goal in the final against Inter Milan and a crucial goal against Arsenal in the semi-final.
On the opposite side of Hakimi is Nuno Mendes, who has quietly built an impressive Ballon d’Or resume. He just won the Nations League with Portugal, where he was awarded Man of the Match, and like Hakimi, he is the best in the world at his position. This season, he completely took out the likes of Mohamed Salah and Bukayo Saka in the Champions League, and in the Nations League, he silenced Lamine Yamal, another top contender for the Ballon d’Or.
Then there’s Vitinha, who, depending on who you ask, might be the best midfielder in the game right now. The way he is able to control the midfield and beat defenders with his passing was crucial to PSG’s success. His numbers aren’t overly impressive, seven goals and three assists in all competitions, but those who know the game and watch him play will tell you that PSG wouldn’t win the Champions League without him.
