2025 Ballon d’Or Shockers: Ousmane Dembele and Lamine Yamal’s Surprising Standings – Did Mohamed Salah or Kylian Mbappe Dominate the Vote?

Paris once again became the epicenter of the football universe as Ousmane Dembele and Aitana Bonmatí were hailed as the globe’s top talents at the 2025 Ballon d’Or ceremony. While the glitz and glamour of the night certainly captured headlines, it’s the unveiling of the detailed voting results that truly stirs the pot. This breakdown offers an electrifying glimpse into how giants like Dembele, Lamine Yamal, Mohamed Salah, and Kylian Mbappe fared when the world’s elite football scribes cast their ballots. Unlike some trophies handed out by closed-door panels, this prestigious accolade relies on the collective judgment of 180 football journalists from FIFA’s highest-ranked nations, each casting weighted votes that ultimately crown the finest player. Fresh off a memorable season where Paris Saint-Germain clinched a historic quadruple, Dembele’s victory was no small feat — especially with youthful prodigy Yamal breathing down his neck. The numbers reveal a compelling tug-of-war between established brilliance and emerging stardom. Curious about who else made the cut and why Dembele’s name dominated the headlines? Dive into the full story and data here: LEARN MORE.

The Ballon d’Or stage in Paris saw Ousmane Dembele and Aitana Bonmatí crowned the best players in the world, capping off an evening of glittering awards and emotional speeches. Yet behind the glamour of the ceremony, the real drama unfolded in the form of numbers. The official voting breakdown for the 2025 Ballon d’Or has now been revealed, finally showing how Dembele, Lamine Yamal, Mohamed Salah, Kylian Mbappe, and the other superstars fared in the ballots.

The details shed light on a fiercely competitive race, one in which legends and rising stars collided in pursuit of soccer’s most prestigious individual honor. Unlike some awards determined by committees or former players, the Ballon d’Or is entrusted to the world’s soccer journalists. 

“Each journalist will score five players, and encompassing all the votes, from there will come the final winner,” France Football explained earlier. A total of 180 journalists from FIFA’s top-ranked countries are given a ballot. Their selections are weighted: six points for a first-place vote, four for second, three for third, two for fourth, and one for fifth.

The Theatre du Chatelet once again provided the backdrop for soccer’s biggest stars. Dembele, fresh from a season in which Paris Saint-Germain completed a historic quadruple. But his triumph came after whispers that Yamal—the 18-year-old who already commands headlines across Europe—might snatch the crown. In the end, the Frenchman’s brilliance carried him through comfortably, but the voting numbers revealed that the teenager wasn’t far behind.

Final numbers revealed

When the official breakdown was published, the results painted a picture of both dominance and rising competition. France Football reported: “Dembele received 1,380 points, 321 more than Yamal, who finished second with 1,059.”

Vitinha, one of PSG’s unsung midfield heroes, surprisingly rounded out the top three, while Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah and Barcelona’s Raphinha followed closely. Here’s how the top 10 shaped up:

Why Dembele prevailed

What pushed Dembele over the top was the sheer weight of first-place votes. According to France Football, “the Frenchman finished with 73 first-place votes compared to Yamal’s 11.”

Other players received scattered recognition—Vitinha (6 first-place votes), Salah (4), Hakimi (3), Mbappe (1), Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (1), and even Scott McTominay (1)—but none came close to Dembele’s commanding total.