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The race for football's most prestigious individual honor takes shape as PSG's treble-winning stars dominate the 2025 Ballon d'Or conversation. With no Nigerian players in contention, African hopes now rest solely on Mohamed Salah's shoulders.
  • PSG's Ousmane Dembele leads rankings after Champions League final masterclass (35G/15A)
  • Barcelona teen sensation Lamine Yamal (19G/26A) becomes the youngest-ever serious contender
  • Nigerian stars Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman fail to make the top 20 cut
  • Mohamed Salah (4th) remains Africa's only hope after Premier League triumph
  • PSG's Desire Doue (6th) emerges as shock contender after breakout UCL campaign
With the September awards ceremony approaching, these rankings signal a potential changing of the guard in global football. For Nigerian fans, the absence of homegrown talent highlights the growing gap between local production and world-class standards.

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While Dembele and Yamal dominate headlines, Nigeria's football faithful face a sobering reality: "African football is in crisis when only one player from the continent makes the top 20," says Lagos-based analyst Femi Akinwunmi. "Our development systems must improve to compete at this level."

Can Nigerian football produce a genuine Ballon d'Or contender in the next decade? What must change?