In 2024, Manchester City star Rodri controversially won the award, despite Ferdinand’s strong preference for Real Madrid’s Vinicius Jr. The Brazilian’s second-place finish led to Los Blancos boycotting the awards gala. ..Continue Reading
Vinicius Jr is expected to be a contender for this year’s award once again. His new Real Madrid teammate, Kylian Mbappe, who has settled in well after his move from PSG, is also likely to be in the running. Last year’s theoretical bronze medallist, Jude Bellingham, hopes to be a contender once more.
Barcelona’s rising star, Lamine Yamal, is building a reputation and could be a strong candidate, while Raphinha is enjoying the form of his life and is arguably the best player in La Liga this season.
However, the current favorite among bookmakers is Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah, who is having an exceptional season with the Premier League leaders.
At 32, Salah is perhaps at the peak of his career, having already scored 30 goals and provided 22 assists in all competitions, consistently delivering decisive performances.
For Ferdinand, Salah is clearly leading the race for the coveted individual accolade that Liverpool’s Egyptian star eagerly desires.
“Right now at this moment in time, I don’t think there’s anyone else on the podium with him,” believes Ferdinand, speaking ahead of Liverpool’s clash with PSG.
But the ex-Manchester United star knows that while Salah may well be the frontrunner right now, things can change quickly – particularly when the big players begin stepping up in Europe’s big competition.
“I think with the way the Champions League works, as you get through the knockout stages and someone starts coming to the fore, they end up there.
“It comes down to moments in big games, really. You can throw Salah in there, you can throw [Ousmane] Dembele in there if PSG go far. [Kylian] Mbappe will be there, [as will] Vinicius [Junior] and [Jude] Bellingham.
“Whoever keeps their status and turns up in the semi-final and final will win it. If they [ Liverpool ] win the Champions League, I’m sure he [Salah] will play a big part.”
