With the football calendar now past the halfway mark in the Ballon d’Or 2025 race (spanning August 1 to July 31), Thierry Henry, Jamie Carragher, and Micah Richards have made their early predictions for this year’s Golden Ball winner. The three former Premier League stars shared their picks after Tuesday night’s Champions League showdown between Real Madrid and Manchester City.
Ordinarily, these two European powerhouses command global attention, with superstars like Erling Haaland, Kylian Mbappe, and Vinicius Junior all in contention for football’s most coveted individual prize in October. After Rodri’s dramatic triumph last year, many expect Vinicius to turn his near miss into fuel for a triumphant campaign, despite lingering frustrations.
However, both clubs’ early struggles in the 2024/25 season could prompt voters and critics to look elsewhere. The CBS Sports panel seems to agree, as all three pundits were unanimous in their choice for the world’s best player.
Related Ballon d’Or 2025 Power Rankings The race for the 2025 Ballon d’Or award begins with Vinicius Junior and Lamine Yamal among the early front-runners
The CBS Sports Studio Pick 2025 Ballon d’Or Winner
There was no mention of Barcelona
The trio were unanimous in agreeing that, if Mohamed Salah maintains his form and secures silverware by the end of the season, the Liverpool forward should be the winner for the 2025 Ballon d’Or. The only slight variation in their views came from Micah Richards, who was torn between Salah and Vinicius Junior before ultimately choosing the Egyptian. Check out the video below:
Salah has been directly involved in 26 goals and 18 assists across 34 games this season, with Liverpool emerging as strong contenders for the League Cup, Premier League, and among the top three favorites for the Champions League. This exceptional form makes the 32-year-old highly deserving of his spot among football’s elite at the moment.
However, one notable point is that none of the panelists mentioned Barcelona players, despite the Catalan giants appearing to be back at their best this season, with Raphinha, Robert Lewandowski, and Lamine Yamal among the world’s top talents. But given the fact the Parisian ceremony gives a lot of weight to team honours, whoever is crowned European champions will have every chance of securing the mantle.
There are outside shouts, meanwhile, for the likes of Harry Kane – who would become the first English winner since Michael Owen in 2001 – as well as Erling Haaland and Virgil van Dijk.
Thierry Henry, Micah Richards & Jamie Carragher Pick 2025 Ballon d’Or Winner
