After the 30-man shortlist for the Ballon d'Or was announced on Thursday, we take a look at the top 10 most valuable players who are up for the prize.
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The Ballon d'Or has always been a point of contention for many football fans who have spent hours arguing who deserved to win football's top individual prize.
Gone are the days of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi's dominance of the award, as the two icons, who share 13 Ballon d'Ors between them, were not on the shortlist for the second year running.
It marks the start of a new era of football as the race for the 2025 Ballon d'Or is arguably the closest and most open battle seen for years, and looks set to pip the head-to-head between Manchester City's Rodri and Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior last year.
France Football has announced the 30-man shortlist, which features several familiar names and a host of new faces. Mohamed Salah, Erling Haaland, and Kylian Mbappe are regular names on the list, while Alexis Mac Allister, Scott MacTominay and Declan Rice make the list for the first time.
UEFA Champions League winners PSG make up nearly one-third of the 30-man list as the French side has nine nominees on the list, including two of the favourites in Ousmane Dembele and Achraf Hakimi.
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Above, we take a look at the 10 most valuable players selected for the Ballon d'Or, according to Transfermarkt.
