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Ballon d’Or ranking confirms McTominay is the best Serie A player

Originally posted on Football Italia | By Lorenzo Bettoni | Last updated Sep 23, 2025 9:46 AM ET

Napoli star Scott McTominay ranked 18th in the Ballon d’Or standings, confirming his status as the best Serie A player.

Napoli star McTominay is the best player in Serie A. The verdict from the 2024-25 campaign was confirmed on Monday when the Scotland international ranked 18th in the Ballon d’Or standings, higher than any other player in the league.

The other two representatives from Italy’s top flight were Inter stars Lautaro Martinez and Denzel Dumfries, who finished 20th and 25th respectively.

The impact that McTominay has had at Napoli is nothing short of impressive. A year ago, not many – except maybe Antonio Conte – would expect the Scotland international to be so decisive as to help Napoli climb from 10th place to top spot in just one season.

The former Manchester United star scored 12 goals and provided six assists in 34 appearances across all competitions in 2024-25, contributing to Napoli’s Serie A title win and claiming the Serie A MVP Award.

Conte was quick in understanding where McT – also known as McFratm’ at the Stadio Maradona – would fit into the Napoli XI and was even quicker in switching his iconic three-man defence to a 4-2-3-1 system where McTominay would be a regular starter and a key player.

The 28-year-old seems to have finally fulfilled his potential at the Stadio Maradona, and he also started the new season from where he had left off, with one goal and one assist in four Serie A matches.

McTominay is the best player in Serie A

McTominay has taken on multiple roles at the Stadio Maradona, roaring from central midfielder to support striker and left winger, often within the same game.

No disrespect to the excellent Lautaro and Dumfries, but the latest Ballon d’Or standing confirms that no player in Serie A has been better than McTominay in the last year, and it’s no small achievement.

Although Lautaro and Dumfires finished the 2024-25 season empty-handed, they fought for the Serie A title until the very final week and reached the Champions League Final for the second time in three years.

Lautaro even had his most prolific Champions League campaign last term, netting nine times in 14 appearances in Europe’s elite competition.

To be able to overtake Lautaro despite not even playing a European competition last term says a lot about the recognition McTominay is having worldwide since joining Conte at Napoli.

To be entirely fair, Lautaro’s performances have gone underappreciated in recent years. In 2024, for example, he ranked as the 7th best player in the World despite winning Serie A with Inter and Copa America with Argentina as the best scorer in both competitions.

Lautaro may not have the same numbers as Erling Haaland – no other forward on the planet has – but when it comes to efficiency and trophies, he’s been very close, and many times better, than other top strikers in the Old Continent, such as Kylian Mbappé or Robert Lewandowski, who are way more hyped.

This, however, doesn’t mean that the scenario depicted by the 2025 Ballon d’Or rankings is unfair when it comes to Serie A.

McTominay has been the most decisive player in the league across the last year, and the way he’s started the season suggests that more of the same will follow in the coming months.

A new season has just begun, and whoever aims to dethrone Napoli will have to beat their Scottish star as well.