Rio Ferdinand Picks Ballon D’or Winner Between Kylian Mbappe And Mohamed Salah
Kylian Mbappe and Mohamed Salah are two of the most in-form players in world football at the moment and are among the front-runners to win the Ballon d'Or 2025.
Since his free summer transfer from PSG, Mbappe has scored 27 goals and four assists in 39 appearances for Real Madrid. Salah, meanwhile, has scored an astonishing 30 goals and has managed 22 assists in 39 appearances for a high-flying Liverpool side.
Rio Ferdinand believes the UEFA Champions League knockout stages might decide the winner. He brought up Mbappe's hat-trick against Manchester City and also pointed out that not winning the award could motivate the Frenchman to continue churning out major numbers.
He told TNT Sports:
Right now, I don’t think there’s anyone else on the podium with him [Salah]. But I think with the way the Champions League works, as you get through the knockout stages and say someone starts coming to the fore…
He added:
I have a feeling Mbappe’s going to do it this year, you know. Hat-trick last game [against Manchester City]. Everyone said the wheels have fallen off and all of a sudden, he’s still churning out big numbers. He hasn’t won it, there’s that hunger, isn’t it?
Ferdinand, though, mentioned that with a triumphant Champions League campaign himself, Salah would run away with the Ballon d'Or.
As for the Champions League, Real Madrid play city rivals Atletico Madrid and Liverpool play PSG in the Round of 16. Apart from European glory, the competition's outcome could also decide individual prize winners.
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Apratim is an experienced sports journalist having covered European and World Football, Combat Sports, Olympic Sports, and more for online media publications like Sportskeeda, EssentiallySports, and more. He is currently an MSc. in Sport Marketing student at Loughborough University, London.