Mohamed Salah or Kylian Mbappe? Rio Ferdinand names player he thinks will win the Ballon d'Or this year

Former Manchester United star Rio Ferdinand named Kylian Mbappe as his candidate to win the Ballon d'Or this season ahead of Mohamed Salah. Both players have churned out impressive numbers this season and could be top contenders for the coveted prize.

Mohamed Salah has played an important role in Liverpool's rise to the top of the Premier League season with 67 points off 28 games. The Egyptian has contributed 30 goals and 22 assists in 39 outings across competitions. He is also the highest goal-scorer in the league so far with 25 goals.

Meanwhile, Kylian Mbappe has shown a significant improvement in his form in his first season for Real Madrid despite his slow start. The Frenchman managed to excel as a centre-forward for Los Blancos despite preferring to play on the left. Mbappe contributed 27 goals and four assists in 39 outings across competitions. He is second in the highest LaLiga goalscorers list with 17 goals, surpassed only by Barcelona's Robert Lewandowski (21 goals).

In an interview with TNT Sports, Rio Ferdinand chose Kylian Mbappe as his candidate to win the Ballon d'Or over Mohamed Salah. He said (via TBR Football):

"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. I have a feeling Mbappe’s going to do it this year, you know."

Ferdinand then alluded to Mbappe's hat-trick against Manchester City in the UEFA Champions League playoffs second leg and added:

"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?"

It is quite early to predict potential Ballon d'Or favorites this season. A lot will also depend on team achievements. If Salah can lead Liverpool to Champions League or Premier League glory, he could be a major contender. Meanwhile, if Real Madrid wins the UCL once again and bag LaLiga, Kylian Mbappe or Vinicius Jr could also be contenders.

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Kylian Mbappe and Mohamed Salah's history at the Ballon d'Or awards explored

Mbappe - Source: Getty

Neither Kylian Mbappe nor Mohamed Salah have won the Ballon d'Or in their careers. The Frenchman has been nominated for France Football's coveted award seven times.

In 2017, Mbappe became the youngest Ballon d'Or nominee in history after leading Monaco to the Ligue 1 title. In the same summer, he bagged a blockbuster move to Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) where he remained until 2024. However, the Frenchman's record was broken by Lamine Yamal after his nomination in 2024.

Kylian Mbappe's best finish for the coveted award came in 2023 when he stood third in the rankings behind winner Lionel Messi and Manchester City superstar Erling Haaland. Last season, the 26-year-old stood sixth in the rankings.

Meanwhile, Mohamed Salah has been nominated for the Ballon d'Or six times in his career. His best finish came in 2019 and 2022 when he stood fifth in the rankings both times. The Egypt international was notably not nominated for the coveted award last year - marking his second absence from the nominees since joining the Merseysiders in 2017.