Ousmane Dembélé Crowned Ballon d’Or Winner for 2024/25 Season; Lamine Yamal Secures Second, Raphinha’s Fifth-Place Finish Stuns Many.
The football world buzzed with the announcement of the 2024/25 Ballon d’Or winner, with ousmane Dembélé taking home the coveted award. Barcelona’s prodigious talent, Lamine Yamal, secured a remarkable second place. Though, the results sparked considerable debate, as many fans and seasoned football analysts had anticipated a different outcome, with brazilian winger Raphinha widely expected to contend for the top spot.
Raphinha’s Unexpected Fifth-Place Finish
The final standings delivered a significant surprise. Raphinha, who many believed was a strong contender, landed in fifth place. More notably, he failed to secure a single first-place vote from the 100 journalists who participated in the voting process. The ballon d’Or voting system allocates points based on a top-10 ranking, with the first-place vote earning 15 points, followed by 12, 10, 8, 7, 5, 4, 3, and 2 points for subsequent positions, and one point for the tenth-place selection.
Given Raphinha’s prominent role and notable performances, a common expectation was that his compatriots woudl rally behind him. However, Brazilian journalist Cléber Machado opted to place Lamine Yamal at the top of his list, a departure from his previous year’s choice of Vinícius Júnior.
Home Advantage: A Factor in Ballon d’Or Voting?
An examination of other voting patterns suggests that national allegiance frequently enough plays a role. For instance, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (Georgia/Paris Saint-Germain) and Scott McTominay (Scotland/SSC Napoli) both received first-place votes from their respective national journalists. Similarly, Mozambican journalist Almiro Santos aligned with the perceived favourite trend by placing kylian Mbappé (Real Madrid) at the forefront of his ballot.
Ultimately, Lamine Yamal garnered eleven first-place votes, while Dembélé received the overwhelming majority with 73 top selections. Raphinha’s significant drop in the rankings,finishing with 620 points,placed him behind Mohamed salah (657 points) and Vitinha (703 points). While his performance was a talking point, it also contributed to a palpable global discussion surrounding the award’s outcome.
Pedri’s Eleventh-Place Finish Adds to the Surprises
Lost amidst the Raphinha controversy is another notable result: Pedri’s eleventh-place finish, placing him behind Cole Palmer (eighth) and Kylian Mbappé (seventh). This outcome raises questions about the voting panel’s perception of Barcelona’s midfield maestro. As the football community digests these results, the anticipation for next year’s gala, and whether Barcelona might reconsider their participation, remains a topic of speculation.
