Photo caption: Ballon d’Or
The highly anticipated Ballon d’Or 2025 rankings have begun to surface, with the organiser dropping the initial names on its X handle on Monday afternoon.
Leading the charge at 30th place is Bayern Munich’s Michael Olise, followed by Bayer Leverkusen’s Florian Wirtz at 29th and Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk standing in 28th position.
Arsenal’s Declan Rice is sitting at 27th, while Erling Haaland is rounding out the top 26.
The partial list, shared also by football expert Fabrizo Romano’s X post, has sparked immediate debate among fans about the merits of these rankings.
Olise’s inclusion at 30th has raised eyebrows, given his stellar 2024-25 season with Bayern, where he notched 12 goals and 15 assists.
The full list of 30 nominees is expected to be revealed throughout the day.
The prestigious award ceremony is set to take place later today in Paris.
