Yeah, I was surprised too at first, but Dembele is leading the ballon d'or 2025 ranking for a few reasons. PSG had a wild season, and Dembele was right in the middle of it all. He helped them win the treble, which is kind of nuts, and he was scoring goals, getting assists, and playing well in big matches. Even though Yamal lit up La Liga and had those sick Champions League moments with Barca, his team just didn’t win as much this year—Spain didn’t win the Nations League and Barca dropped out of the Club World Cup.

Bookmakers usually go for the dude whose team wins the biggest trophies, so Dembele being part of PSG’s historic run really bumped him to the top. Yamal’s individual stuff is insane, but people look at rings and medals for this award. I kinda think it’s a bit unfair, but that’s how they do it. You never know, though—if someone like Yamal comes back strong next season or Dembele messes up at the Club World Cup, it could all change! Ballon d'or races are wild like that.