Thierry Henry, Jamie Carragher, and Micah Richards have given their initial predictions for this year’s Golden Ball winner, as the football calendar has already passed the halfway point of the Ballon d’Or 2025 contest, which runs from August 1 to July 31. Following Tuesday night’s Champions League match between Real Madrid and Manchester City, the three former Premier League players revealed their selections.
Normally, these two European powerhouses are well-known throughout the world, and in October, players like Vinicius Junior, Kylian Mbappe, and Erling Haaland are all vying for football’s most coveted individual award. Even if there are still unresolved issues, many believe Vinicius will use Rodri’s thrilling victory from the previous season as motivation for a successful year.
However, voters and detractors may turn elsewhere as a result of both clubs’ early 2024–25 season setbacks. With all three commentators agreeing on who the top player in the world is, it appears that the CBS Sports panel is in agreement.
The CBS Sports Studio Pick 2025 Ballon d’Or Winner
There was no mention of Barcelona
All three of them agreed that Mohamed Salah should win the 2025 Ballon d’Or if he keeps up his current form and wins any awards by the end of the tournament. Micah Richards, who debated between Vinicius Junior and Salah before going with the Egyptian, was the only one who slightly disagreed with them. Watch the video below:
Thierry Henry, @Carra23, and @MicahRichards all agree on who the next Ballon d'Or winner should be 👀🏆 pic.twitter.com/yUi3BjKCnx
— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) February 11, 2025
With Liverpool developing as serious competitors for the League Cup, Premier League, and among the top three favourites for the Champions League, Salah has directly contributed to 26 goals and 18 assists in 34 games this season. The 32-year-old is well-deserving of his current position among football’s top players due to his outstanding play.
Interestingly, though, none of the panellists brought up Barcelona players, even though the Catalan powerhouses seem to be back to their best this season, with Raphinha, Robert Lewandowski, and Lamine Yamal among the finest players in the world. However, as team accolades are given a lot of weight in the Paris ceremony, the winner of the European championship will have every opportunity of taking home the trophy.
Meanwhile, there are outside cheers for players like Virgil van Dijk, Erling Haaland, and Harry Kane, who would become the first English winner since Michael Owen in 2001.
