Ballon d'Or: Dembele, Salah, and McTominay

The era of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi has truly come to an end. The two legendary players no longer monopolize the competition for the Ballon d'Or or the annual award for the best footballer in the world. In the latest edition, there are many great talents ready to make surprises.

The list of 30 nominees for the Ballon d'Or has been released on Thursday (7/8/2025) evening WIB. For the second consecutive time, neither Ronaldo nor Messi is included in the list. Furthermore, since the 2004-2023 edition, from Ronaldo's teenage years to Messi at the age of 36, one of them has always been nominated.

Paris Saint Germain, the winner of the Champions League for the 2024-2025 season, dominates the nominations. Nine players from the French giant's team are on the list. There are representatives in all positions, ranging from forward Ousmane Dembele, midfielder Vitinha, defender Nuno Mendes, to goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma.

In odd-numbered years, when there are no international tournaments like the World Cup, the most prominent competition is the Champions League. It's no wonder PSG is fielding so many representatives. Moreover, Luis Enrique's team also won the treble and finished runners-up in the Club World Cup.

The way he helps the team defend is how you lead a team. Ousmane is my Ballon d'Or winner.

Dembele, the best player from the most dominant club, automatically becomes the strongest candidate. He contributed 35 goals and 16 assists across all competitions in a single season. Typically, the contributions of goals and assists have a significant impact on the awards that are more frequently won by such a forward.

Enrique has already crowned Dembele after winning 5-0 against Inter Milan in the Champions League final. In fact, the player did not contribute any goals. "The way he helps the team defend, that is how you lead a team. Ousmane is the Ballon d'Or winner in my version," he stated.

Intense competition comes from Dembele's teammate, Vitinha. The midfielder has also received much appreciation after his success at PSG and winning the UEFA Nations League with the Portugal national team. He is the brain and the heart of the game for both teams.

The Ballon d'Or is indeed dominated by forwards. However, players in other positions have been increasingly recognized lately. This is evidenced by Manchester City midfielder Rodri, who won last year's edition by defeating Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior.

Rodri's greatest achievement is leading the Spanish national team to victory in the 2024 European Championship. Vitinha's accomplishments are clearly more comprehensive. "PSG won everything thanks to him. From the style and effectiveness he brings, Vitinha deserves to receive that award," said Portugal National Team Coach Roberto Martinez.

Outside of PSG, the strongest candidate is the 18-year-old winger from Barcelona, Lamine Yamal. He is having an outstanding season at a very young age. Leading his team to victory in La Liga and reaching the semifinals of the Champions League, Yamal is beginning to be touted as Messi's successor.

However, the most prestigious achievement that Yamal can present is only the domestic league trophy. The last Ballon d'Or winner who only won the domestic league in the previous season was Messi (2019). The question is, is Yamal already as great as Messi? It seems not yet.

Messi also recorded an exceptional individual performance at that time. He scored 41 goals and provided 15 assists in 44 matches in 2019, including winning the Golden Shoe in the category of the five major European leagues. Meanwhile, Yamal produced a total of 18 goals and 25 assists from 55 matches last season.

Yamal is highly appreciated due to his age factor. There are not many players who have reached such a star level at that age. In addition to the Ballon d'Or, Yamal is also nominated for the Kopa Trophy or the award for the best U-21 player in the world.

Regarding individual achievements, Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah is actually more promising compared to Yamal. Salah has produced 34 goals and 23 assists in 52 appearances across all competitions. He successfully led Liverpool to win the Premier League for the second time in the last five years.

The Egyptian national team player combined a total of 47 goals and assists, matching the record for a player's contributions in a single season in the English League. He also won the Golden Boot in England for the fourth time, equaling the record for the most in the history of the competition held by Thierry Henry.

Salah hopes that his achievements in the most competitive league in the world will be enough to elevate him to the highest position in the voting. "If I win, it will feel great. If not, my career is still good. The image of the Ballon d'Or is always in my mind," said the 33-year-old player.

Scott McTominay, a midfielder for Napoli, is the most surprising figure to be nominated. Before moving from Manchester United last summer, he was merely regarded as a mediocre player. McTominay rebuilt his career last season at the Italian giant club.

McTominay has become a vital figure in leading Napoli to victory as the champions of Serie A last season. In addition to maintaining balance in the midfield, he also contributed 12 goals and 6 assists from 34 appearances. He was selected as the league's best player due to this contribution.

Nevertheless, McTominay's achievements seem insufficient to make him emerge as the winner. If there were an award for Most Improved Player, similar to that in basketball, particularly the NBA, he might have automatically been declared the winner. (AP/REUTERS)