Shocking Upsets and Stunning Snubs Rock the 2025 Ballon d'Or Results
The most eventful Ballon d'Or ceremony in recent memory came to a close with Ousmane Dembélé finally realizing the promise that had long remained unfulfilled.
Dembélé's path offers tremendous motivation, with the former prodigy demonstrating that growth is far from straightforward. He joined Barcelona at 20 as a rising star carrying enormous expectations, yet left during his peak years having spectacularly failed to validate the club's costly investment.
The French winger enjoyed his most successful campaign at age 28, adopting a fresh position in Paris Saint-Germain's attack that became instrumental in their first-ever Champions League triumph. While PSG excelled as a unit, Dembélé undeniably stood as their standout performer.
Debates over alternative winners were expected following the announcement, but the true controversies this year centered on how several candidates were positioned further down the rankings.
Here are five of the most shocking placements from the men's 2025 Ballon d'Or.
Michael Olise—30th
With 34 total goal involvements across the Bundesliga and Champions League, Olise possessed the numbers to support a playing style that typically attracts Ballon d'Or recognition.
While the Frenchman wasn't a genuine candidate for this year's honor, placing 30th was simply incorrect. Olise was instrumental during his inaugural campaign for a Bayern Munich team that swiftly reclaimed their position atop German football, and the graceful winger has become a key player for France's national squad over the last year as well.
Olise definitely didn't deserve to finish last among the nominees on Monday evening.
Virgil van Dijk—28th
Many believed Van Dijk should have become the first defender since Fabio Cannavaro to claim the Ballon d'Or in 2019, when the Dutchman was displaying a standard rarely witnessed from a center-back.
Van Dijk was eventually beaten to the prize by Lionel Messi, and numerous observers felt he was unfairly overlooked again in 2025.
The commanding Dutch defender experienced a slight decline following his recovery from a serious knee problem, but returned to peak form last season, guiding Liverpool to their second Premier League championship. Van Dijk appeared in all but one match as the Reds maintained the second-strongest defensive record in Europe's most competitive league.
As the sole center-back nominated, were there genuinely 27 players who outperformed Liverpool's defensive leader last season?
João Neves—19th
Vitinha delivered exceptional performances last season and merited his high placement, but why were his midfield colleagues ranked so poorly? Fabián Ruiz at 24th seemed unfair, as did Neves at 19th.
While Fabián served as the smooth connector who netted in the Champions League semifinal against Arsenal with a brilliant effort, Neves was the versatile workhorse in PSG's midfield.
Luis Enrique's team nearly crashed out during the league phase, needing a win against Manchester City in Paris on the second-to-last matchday to maintain their ambitions. The shortest player on the field, Neves, scored the decisive header to cap PSG's remarkable comeback after trailing 2-0 at halftime. What Neves lacks in height, he compensates for with exceptional skill.
The Portuguese midfielder combines tenacity and finesse beautifully, proving equally crucial to PSG's triumph as Vitinha, who ranked 16 spots higher.
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia—12th
Several elements contributed to PSG's remarkable transformation. After faltering in the league phase, they demolished Brest and eliminated three English clubs en route to the Champions League final, before delivering a legendary performance in the tournament's decisive match.
Dembélé's positional switch, Désiré Doué's breakthrough, and Enrique's tactical flexibility were all crucial to PSG's ultimate victory, but some wonder if they would have claimed European glory without acquiring Kvaratskhelia in January.
Antonio Conte was prepared to reshape Napoli around the Georgian's talents, switching to a 4-3-3 formation, and the winger contributed eight Serie A goal involvements in 15 starts before bringing his creative flair to Paris. 'Kvaradona' made an instant impact, though Parisians might prefer calling him 'Kvaradinho' in tribute to one of their legendary former stars.
He integrated seamlessly into Enrique's system, giving PSG additional attacking dynamism that made them unstoppable. Kvaratskhelia's vital contributions during the Champions League knockout rounds warranted a top-10 position.
Pedri—11th
In the end, PSG's Champions League victory, and possibly Portugal's UEFA Nations League triumph in summer, helped Vitinha earn a podium spot.
He was genuinely outstanding, without question, but one could argue that Pedri was the finest-performing midfielder globally last season.
A season without significant injury setbacks brought immense satisfaction to Pedri admirers, who had endured numerous rhythm interruptions since his remarkable Euro 2020 showing. The Spaniard was previously causing chaos as more of a creator, but we've watched him develop under Hansi Flick into a midfield controller who can orchestrate as effectively as he can construct.
Pressuring Barcelona becomes nearly impossible when Pedri features, and he's demonstrated considerable competence in defensive duties as well. While nobody suggests he should have claimed the award Monday night, Pedri's placement outside the top ten wasn't justified given his unwavering excellence in a team that concluded 2024-25 with three titles.
"We must discuss Pedri more," remarked three-time Ballon d'Or Féminin champion Aitana Bonmatí following Dembélé's victory.