Many believe that the 2025 Ballon d’Or race will be limited to Ousmane Dembélé, Lamine Yamal, and, to a lesser extent, Rafinha. However, in reality, many factors have begun to change in recent days.
While Paris Saint-Germain has launched a systematic media campaign to have Dembélé win the most prestigious individual award in football, another star from the French club may be a strong contender based on his performances over the past season.
We’re talking about Vitinha, who now has the collective advantage over Dembélé after leading Portugal to the UEFA Nations League title against Spain on penalties.
Vitinha’s Ballon d’Or Stock Soars
Given that the last Ballon d’Or winner was Rodri, a midfielder, Vitinha’s chances of winning the 2025 Ballon d’Or have increased significantly recently, especially since the Portuguese has performed more than almost any other star in the world.
The praise for Vitinha has continued throughout the past season, and increased significantly after his amazing performance with Portugal in the UEFA Nations League. Then the question began to arise: Why hasn’t he won the Ballon d’Or, and what makes Dembélé better than him?
Based on the latest statistics from various sources, Vitinha appears to be the third favorite to win the Ballon d’Or currently, with an 8% chance, ahead of Mohamed Salah and Rafinha.
Dembélé remains the favorite with a 69% chance, followed by Lamine Yamal with a 33% chance. However, Vitinha is beginning to emerge strongly, and no one knows what will happen in the coming months, particularly in terms of media support for him becoming the first Portuguese player since Cristiano Ronaldo to win this prestigious award.
What has Vitinha achieved in the 2024-25 season?
The 25-year-old Vitinha is one of the most capped players this season, having made 52 appearances for Paris Saint-Germain in four different competitions.
Considering his position in midfield, Vitinha isn’t expected to score many goals, given his more tactical role. Indeed, he’s only managed five goals and three assists.
Ultimately, Vitinha won four titles with PSG: the French League, the Coupe de France, the Coupe de la Ligue, and the Champions League. He then concluded his season by winning the UEFA Nations League.
The Club World Cup will be another opportunity for the player to showcase his abilities and increase his chances of winning the Ballon d’Or. If he continues in this vein, wins the title, and is influential, his chances of winning the award will undoubtedly increase significantly.
Calls for Nuno Mendes to also be nominated
Following Nuno Mendes’s stunning performance in the UEFA Nations League final between Portugal and Spain, where he completely shut down the threat of Lamine Yamal, calls have begun to rise for him to be included on the list of nominees for the Ballon d’Or as well.
There’s no doubt that the left-back was one of the most important reasons for the capital club’s Champions League victory. He was able to stop Mohamed Salah in the Round of 16 and Bukayo Saka in the semi-finals, in addition to his impressive performance against Inter in the final.
Mendes has played 46 matches in all competitions, scoring six goals and providing six assists. Like Vitinha, he has won five of these tournaments.
Dembélé may be the favorite for the Ballon d’Or, but the race is certainly not over, and the award will remain up in the air, making it difficult to predict the winner until the ceremony on September 21 in Paris.
