Real Madrid legend Sergio Ramos has said he would love for his former teammate Kylian Mbappé to win the 2025 Ballon d'Or despite not winning any major trophies with Real Madrid in his first season.

Rodri controversially won the 2024 Ballon d'Or award ahead of Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior. The Brazilian refused to attend the ceremony and was heavily criticised for it.

This year, the leading contenders include Ousmane Dembélé from Paris Saint-Germain, Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal and Raphinha, Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah, and Kylian Mbappé.

Dembélé stands as the leading candidate after guiding PSG to a treble, which included their first-ever UEFA Champions League title.

Yamal is also a serious contender. At 17, he scored important goals for Barcelona in La Liga and in the Champions League.

His performances earned him rave reviews from fans, coaches, pundits and players. Some called him a "genius".

Mbappe has never won the award despite being one of the best players in the world. He finished third and sixth in the 2023 and 2024 Ballon d'Or rankings.

In the 2024/25 campaign, he won the Golden Boot in La Liga with 31 goals in 34 games. Lack of trophies could see him miss out again.

Dembele, Yamal, Raphinha, and Salah all have won big trophies and might rank ahead of the French superstar.

Ramos watched Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi dominate the Ballon d'Or and knows what it takes to win it. He said he prefers Mbappe winning it this year.

"I [will] always give it to Mbappe. Not just out of friendship, but also because he has put in some impressive performances. It's a decisive trophy, but you never know what the criteria are for the Ballon d'Or... He scores goals, won the Golden Boot, even though Madrid hasn't won other titles that other teams have won," the Real Madrid legend said via GOAL.

Mbappe bagged 43 goals this past season and will win the European Golden Shoe.

"I think Kylian would have the peace of mind of taking home four or five Ballons d'Or in five or 10 years," Ramos added.

Karim Benzema is the last Real Madrid player to win the Ballon d'Or. The Al-Ittihad striker is also the last Frenchman to win the award.

Earlier, reported on the power rankings for the 2025 Ballon d'Or following PSG's victory over Inter Milan in the Champions League final.

Dembele leads the race for the award after an outstanding season with PSG, where he helped secure a treble.

Barcelona's Raphinha and Lamine Yamal round out the top three spots after an unforgettable season.

Source: TUKO.co.ke