Why is Liverpool Superstar trendin on Ballon d’Or day?? Could he be the winner ??

The Ballon d’Or is the biggest individual prize in world football, the golden trophy that every player dreams about lifting one day, the award that makes legends and writes names into football history forever. For weeks the world has been waiting, Paris is ready, the Theatre du Chatelet is shining with lights, the best players on earth are polishing their suits and preparing to walk the red carpet. And yet, just hours before the official announcement, chaos has hit the football world, because a so-called leak has emerged online claiming to reveal the winner of the 2025 Ballon d’Or. The image spread across social media like wildfire, shocking fans, stirring up debate, and creating even more tension before the ceremony. But fans with sharp eyes quickly spotted two major problems with the so-called leaked results, making the whole situation even more dramatic.

The picture that went viral claimed to show the final standings of the Ballon d’Or votes. According to it, Barcelona’s young superstar Lamine Yamal was set to be crowned the winner, Ousmane Dembele of PSG would come second, and Vitinha, also from PSG, would finish third. At first glance, the image looked convincing, the kind of professional layout that fans have seen before with award lists. Some believed it instantly, others questioned it. But then, people started pointing out the mistakes. Kylian Mbappe’s name was spelt wrong, and so was the full name of Inter Milan, which was written incorrectly. For many fans, this was proof that the document was fake, a badly made attempt to trick the world before the official ceremony. Yet the damage was already done, because once a leak appears on social media, even a fake one, it sparks endless conversations, doubts, and heated arguments.

The man who posted the image was Pablo Giralt, an Argentine journalist with more than one million followers on X. He captioned the post by saying, “The alleged 2025 Ballon d’Or list has been leaked. Lamine Yamal would be the winner, Dembele second, and Vitinha third. Opinions?” Instantly, thousands of replies poured in. Some fans believed it, some laughed at it, and others were furious that such fake lists always appear before the Ballon d’Or. In just hours, the post had thousands of comments, shares, and debates. Some people wrote that even if the spelling mistakes were embarrassing, the order might still be true, because Yamal and Dembele were already considered the two front-runners. Others said the whole thing was nonsense and reminded everyone that only one man in the world knows the winner before the ceremony — Vincent Garcia, the editor-in-chief of France Football.

Garcia himself has spoken before about how tightly the secret is kept. He has said clearly that not even the management of L’Equipe, the magazine that owns France Football, knows who the winner is. “The Ballon d’Or winner? I will keep the secret even if it means falling out with some people. I will keep the secret until the very end,” Garcia promised before the Paris ceremony. That is why many fans refused to believe the leak, because the truth is locked in an envelope that will not be opened until Ronaldinho, the legendary Brazilian forward, steps onto the stage in Paris and reads out the name of the winner. Until then, everything else is just speculation.

Still, the leak created drama because of the names involved. Ousmane Dembele has been tipped by many to win after scoring 35 goals and registering 16 assists in all competitions last season. He also picked up individual awards, including the Champions League Player of the Season, and was at the heart of PSG’s treble-winning campaign. Lamine Yamal, the teenage sensation from Barcelona, is another leading candidate. At only 18, he managed 21 goals and 26 assists in the season, helping Barcelona win La Liga, the Copa del Rey, and the Spanish Supercopa. His rise has been unbelievable, and if he were to win the Ballon d’Or, he would be the youngest player ever to do so. That is why when the fake list named him as the winner, many fans were not entirely surprised. As for Vitinha, few expected him to finish third, but PSG’s dominance in Europe and France last season made it possible for many of their stars to receive votes.

While the leak spread, another issue added even more chaos to the story. A total of nine PSG players were nominated for the Ballon d’Or this year, including Dembele, Vitinha, Achraf Hakimi, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Nuno Mendes, Joao Neves, Fabian Ruiz, Desire Doue, and Gianluigi Donnarumma. But most of them are not even expected to attend the Ballon d’Or gala in Paris, because of a clash with their rescheduled Ligue 1 game. PSG’s match against Marseille, known as Le Classique, was supposed to be played on Sunday. But storms in the south of France forced the authorities to postpone the game for security reasons. The new date was set for Monday night, the same time as the Ballon d’Or ceremony. That means PSG’s stars cannot be in two places at once. Only Dembele, Neves, and Doue, who are injured and not included in the squad for Marseille, are expected to attend the ceremony. The rest of the PSG nominees will stay behind to play in one of the biggest league fixtures of the season.

Marseille themselves released a statement on Sunday night confirming the postponement. They explained that the Bouches-du-Rhône Prefecture, which handles local security, made the decision because of the dangerous weather conditions. They expressed regret that supporters had already gathered for the original date, but promised that tickets would still be valid for Monday’s game. For Marseille, it was a disappointment, for PSG it was a logistical headache, and for the Ballon d’Or ceremony it was a blow. Instead of having a full group of nominees in Paris, one of the most dominant clubs in Europe will be mostly absent from the red carpet. Some fans even called it disrespectful, while others said it showed that football matches matter more than individual awards. Either way, it adds another strange twist to an already complicated build-up.

All of this has created a strange atmosphere around the Ballon d’Or this year. On one side, fans are buzzing with excitement to see if it will be Dembele or Yamal who wins. On the other side, the leaked image has created doubts, anger, and suspicion. Some are saying the leaks ruin the magic of the night, while others argue that they only add to the drama. Social media is full of debates, arguments, and conspiracy theories. Some people insist that the leaks always turn out to be close to reality, while others remind everyone of past years when the leaked lists were completely wrong. What is certain is that nobody outside of France Football knows the truth, and until Ronaldinho opens that envelope in Paris, it will remain the biggest mystery in football.

And what of the players themselves? Imagine being Dembele, preparing for a Ballon d’Or night that could make him immortal in football history, only to see a fake list on social media claiming he will finish second. Imagine being Yamal, just 18 years old, scrolling through his phone and seeing fans celebrating him as the winner before the ceremony has even started. Imagine Vitinha, suddenly trending worldwide because a fake list said he will finish third, even though most people never considered him a serious contender. This is the strange, modern world of football, where leaks, fakes, and viral posts can change the mood of an entire fanbase in seconds.

But when the lights shine in Paris, when the red carpet is walked, when the cameras click, and when the stars sit nervously in the theatre, only one truth will matter: the name inside the envelope. And until that moment, the drama will continue. The leak may be fake, the spelling mistakes may be embarrassing, the PSG absences may be unfortunate, but the Ballon d’Or remains the greatest individual award in football. It is the golden dream. And tonight, in Paris, the world will find out who is truly the best player in the world.