Salah, Hakimi, Guirassy Make 2025 Ballon d’Or list

Three African footballers, Serhou Guirassy (Guinea), Achraf Hakimi (Morocco), and Mohamed Salah (Egypt) have been named on the 2025 Ballon d’Or shortlist, one of football’s highest honours.

Guirassy had an outstanding season after moving to Borussia Dortmund. He made history by scoring 10 goals in the Champions League, the most by any Dortmund player in a single season.

In the German Bundesliga, he also made headlines by scoring four goals in one match against Union Berlin, finishing the season with an impressive 38 goals in all competitions.

Achraf Hakimi also had a brilliant year playing for Paris Saint-Germain (PSG). He played a big part in PSG’s success, scoring in both the Champions League final and the Coupe de France final, helping the team win both trophies. Over the season, he scored 11 goals and provided 16 assists, showing qualities more like a forward than a defender. His performances have earned him praise as one of the best right-backs in the world.

Mohamed Salah, the Egyptian forward, continued his fine form with Liverpool, winning the Premier League title and claiming his fourth Golden Boot with 29 goals. He also led the league in assists with 18, making 47 goal contributions in total. Salah’s consistency and leadership were key in Liverpool’s success.

These three Africans are part of the 30-man shortlist for the 2025 Ballon d’Or, which will be awarded at a ceremony in Paris on Monday, 22 September.

Other top names on the list include Kylian Mbappé, Jude Bellingham, Erling Haaland, Harry Kane, and Vinicius Jr. PSG’s Ousmane Dembélé is among the favourites after helping his club win a historic treble, the Champions League, Ligue 1, and French Cup.

This year is special, as no previous Ballon d’Or winner is on the list, meaning the world will witness a first-time winner of the prestigious award. Last year’s winner, Rodri, will not defend his title.