The Prestige of the Ballon d'Or
The Ballon d'Or is the most prestigious individual honor in the world of football. Established in 1956 by the French magazine France Football, the award has been awarded over its seven-decade history. Ballon d'Or 2025 edition will be the 69th celebration of football's best player this year, with this year's ceremony generating particular excitement due to new participants because of the absence of dominating legends like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo from UEFA. Ballon d'Or legacy extends beyond individual recognition for players, fans, and clubs. Ballon d'Or symbolizes the legacy of football achievement. Debates about potential winners' announcements, intense discussion, and analysis throughout the football community. On 22nd September 2025, the award for men's and women's Ballon d'Or, including the young talents, goalkeepers, coaches, and clubs, will be announced at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris
Men's Ballon d'Or 2025 Nominees
Men's Nominees
Ballon d'Or shortlist features 30 players who have demonstrated exceptional performance during the 2024-2025 season. Paris Saint-Germain leads club representation with ten nominees, reflecting their successful campaign that included winning the UEFA Champions League, Ligue 1, and domestic cup competitions. Barcelona, Real Madrid, Arsenal, Manchester City, Liverpool and Bayern Munich Nominees are also in the race with strong nominees for the Ballon d'Or 2025.
2025 Men's Ballon d'Or Top Nominees
| Name | Nationality | Club (2024–25) | Achievements (2024–25) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ousmane Dembélé | France | Paris Saint-Germain | Named UEFA Champions League Player of the Season. Won the Ligue 1 Golden Boot. Key to PSG's treble (Ligue 1, Coupe de France, Champions League). |
| Lamine Yamal | Spain | Barcelona | Broke out as a teenager for Barcelona, with decisive domestic contributions. |
| Mohamed Salah | Egypt | Liverpool | Won PFA Player of the Year, the Golden Boot, and the Premier League title with Liverpool. |
| Kylian Mbappé | France | Real Madrid | Top scorer for his club with 44 goals across all competitions. Won the European Golden Boot and the La Liga Golden Boot. |
| Jude Bellingham | England | Real Madrid | Won the UEFA Super Cup and the inaugural FIFA Intercontinental Cup. |
| Vitinha | Portugal | Paris Saint-Germain | Playmaker in PSG’s midfield, a key starter in their domestic and European success. |
| Gianluigi Donnarumma | Italy | Paris Saint-Germain | First-choice keeper for PSG, winning Ligue 1, Coupe de France, and the Champions League. |
| Désiré Doué | France | Paris Saint-Germain | Named UEFA Champions League Young Player of the Season. Contributed to PSG's treble. |
| Denzel Dumfries | Netherlands | Inter Milan | Regular starter for Inter. |
| Serhou Guirassy | Guinea | Borussia Dortmund | Leading scorer for his club, with major scoring impact in the league and Europe. |
| Viktor Gyökeres | Sweden | Arsenal | Strong goalscoring form after a high-profile transfer. |
| Erling Haaland | Norway | Manchester City | Club top scorer with 22 goals in the Premier League. |
| Achraf Hakimi | Morocco | Paris Saint-Germain | Attacking right-back for PSG in their treble-winning season (Ligue 1, Coupe de France, Champions League). |
| Harry Kane | England | Bayern Munich | Won the Bundesliga title and the Bundesliga Golden Boot with 26 goals. |
| Khvicha Kvaratskhelia | Georgia | Paris Saint-Germain | Mid-season move to PSG, winning the Ligue 1 and Champions League with the club. |
| Robert Lewandowski | Poland | Barcelona | Prolific scoring season for Barcelona, with double-digit league goals. |
| Alexis Mac Allister | Argentina | Liverpool | Key midfield creator for Liverpool in their Premier League-winning campaign. |
| Lautaro Martínez | Argentina | Inter Milan | Leading striker for Inter, with a strong Serie A performance. |
| Scott McTominay | Scotland | Napoli | Instrumental in Napoli’s title push, named Serie A MVP. |
| Nuno Mendes | Portugal | Paris Saint-Germain | Regular full-back for PSG in their treble-winning season. |
| João Neves | Portugal | Paris Saint-Germain | Important young midfielder for PSG, contributing to their Champions League title. |
| Pedri | Spain | Barcelona | Key midfield figure for Barcelona, the creative engine in their domestic campaign. |
| Cole Palmer | England | Chelsea | Major attacking output for Chelsea with over 20 goal contributions. |
| Michael Olise | France | Bayern Munich | Won the Bundesliga and was named FC Bayern's Player of the Season. |
| Raphinha | Brazil | Barcelona | Key attacker for Barcelona, with double-digit league goals and decisive performances. |
| Declan Rice | England | Arsenal | Named Arsenal’s Player of the Season. Contributed nine goals and ten assists. |
| Fabián Ruiz | Spain | Paris Saint-Germain | Central midfield contributor for PSG, a consistent starter in their treble campaign. |
| Virgil van Dijk | Netherlands | Liverpool | Defensive leader for Liverpool and consistent performer in their title-winning run. |
| Vinícius Júnior | Brazil | Real Madrid | High-impact attacker for Real Madrid, scoring decisive goals. |
| Florian Wirtz | Germany | Bayer Leverkusen | Star performer for Leverkusen, with a high goal-contribution season before his transfer. |
Kylian Mbappé from Real Madrid, named for his eighth Ballon d'Or nomination at just 26 years old, matching the nomination totals of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi at the same age. Ousmane Dembélé from PSG is dominating the Ballon d'Or face after PSG's first-ever Champions League victory. Lamine Yamal from Barcelona, a young Spanish winger, is also considered a strong contender following Barcelona's domestic treble. If he wins the Ballon d'Or, he will be the youngest to have the award after the Brazilian Legend Ronaldo Nazário. Mohamed Salah - The Egyptian King from Liverpool, is also a favorite nominee after Premier League Champion, Premier League Golden Boot, and PFA Player of the Year.
Women's Ballon d'Or 2025 Nominees
Ballon d'Or shortlist features 30 women players who have excelled throughout the 2024-2025 season. Arsenal players feature mostly on the nomination list after their stunning Women's Champions League victory. Barcelona and the English Euro 2025-winning squad are also in the highlights.
2025 Women's Ballon d'Or Top Nominees
| Name | Nationality | Club (2024-25) | Achievements in last season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alexia Putellas | Spain | Barcelona | Liga F champion; UWCL finalist |
| Alessia Russo | England | Arsenal | UWCL winner; double-digit goals |
| Lucy Bronze | England | Chelsea | WSL title with Chelsea; decisive goal vs Man United |
| Barbra Banda | Zambia | Orlando Pride | NWSL top scorer candidate; key player for Zambia |
| Aitana Bonmatí | Spain | Barcelona | UWCL Player of the Season; Barcelona reached final |
| Chloe Kelly | England | Manchester City | Key role in City’s domestic season |
| Leah Williamson | England | Arsenal | UWCL winner; Euro 2025 champion with England |
| Sandy Baltimore | France | Chelsea | 6 goals & 9 assists; FA Cup winner |
| Mariona Caldentey | Spain | Arsenal | UWCL winner with Arsenal |
| Klara Bühl | Germany | Bayern Munich | Bundesliga winner; 12 goals in league |
| Sofia Cantore | Italy | Juventus | 8 goals in Serie A; domestic cup run |
| Steph Catley | Australia | Arsenal | UWCL winner; key defender for Arsenal |
| Melchie Dumornay | Haiti | Lyon | 10+ goals/assists in D1 Arkema; strong UWCL run |
| Temwa Chawinga | Malawi | PSG | Division 1 Arkema top scorer (2025) |
| Emily Fox | USA | Arsenal | UWCL winner; starter in Arsenal defence |
| Cristiana Girelli | Italy | Juventus | Serie A Femminile top scorer |
| Esther González | Spain | Gotham FC | NWSL champion; leading scorer for Gotham |
| Caroline Graham Hansen | Norway | Barcelona | Double-digit goals/assists; UWCL finalist |
| Patri Guijarro | Spain | Barcelona | Scored in UWCL campaign; Liga F champion |
| Amanda Gutierres | Brazil | Corinthians | Campeonato Brasileiro Feminino winner |
| Hannah Hampton | England | Chelsea | WSL champion goalkeeper |
| Pernille Harder | Denmark | Bayern Munich | Bundesliga champion; 15+ goals/assists |
| Lindsey Heaps | USA | North Carolina Courage | — |
| Marta | Brazil | Orlando Pride | NWSL veteran leader; inspirational performances |
| Frida Maanum | Norway | Arsenal | UWCL winner; midfield engine |
| Ewa Pajor | Poland | Wolfsburg | Bundesliga top scorer |
| Clara Mateo | France | Paris FC | — |
| Claudia Pina | Spain | Barcelona | — |
| Johanna Rytting Kaneryd | Sweden | Chelsea | — |
| Caroline Weir | Scotland | Real Madrid | Real Madrid Femenino’s all-time leading scorer |
Arsenal players are featured on this year’s nominees list because of their remarkable Women’s Champions League triumph under coach Renée Slegers, winning remarkably against Barcelona in the final. England’s Euro 2025 success is also well represented, with standout performers Chloe Kelly, Alessia Russo, and Leah Williamson strong nominations. Together, these selections underline both the sustained progress and the rising competitiveness of women’s football on the global stage.
Other Award Categories
The 2025 Ballon d'Or ceremony will also feature several other prestigious awards recognizing different aspects of football excellence:
- Kopa Trophy: Awarded to the best young players under age 21, with nominees including Lamine Yamal (Barcelona), Désiré Doué (PSG), and Kenan Yıldız (Juventus) on the men's side, and Michelle Agyemang (Arsenal) and Linda Caicedo (Real Madrid) among the women's nominees.
- Yashin Trophy: Recognizing the best goalkeepers, with Gianluigi Donnarumma (PSG) as the heavy favorite after PSG's trophy-laden season, while women's nominees include Hannah Hampton (Chelsea) and Daphne van Domselaar (Arsenal).
- Johan Cruyff Trophy: Awarded to the best coaches, with Luis Enrique (PSG) and Hansi Flick (Barcelona) as frontrunners on the men's side, while Sonia Bompastor (Chelsea), Renée Slegers (Arsenal), and Sarina Wiegman (England) headline the women's nominations.
- Club of the Year Trophy: Recognizing the best teams, with PSG, Liverpool, Barcelona, Arsenal, and Chelsea featured prominently in both men's and women's categories.
Controversies and Allegations
The Ballon d’Or is one of football’s biggest awards, but it has not always been free from allegations and controversies. One of the biggest controversies happened in 2013, when Cristiano Ronaldo won ahead of Franck Ribéry, even though Ribéry had helped Bayern Munich win three major trophies that year. The vote caused a whip because FIFA extended the deadline at the last minute. Some coaches, like Kuwait’s Jorvan Vieira, even said their votes were changed without permission. Vieira claimed he voted for Zlatan Ibrahimović, but FIFA’s records showed his ballot listed Messi, Neymar, and Ronaldo. More recently, Paris Saint-Germain was accused of trying to influence the award while Lionel Messi played for them. Reports from a legal case suggested that PSG officials tried to pressure organizers to help Messi win. These claims have not been proven, but they raised doubts on the fairness of the award. The award has also been criticized for being unfair to certain types of players. Attackers usually win, while defenders and goalkeepers are almost always ignored. In fact, only three defensive players have ever won: Franz Beckenbauer, Fabio Cannavaro, and Lev Yashin. Many people also feel that the Ballon d’Or gives too much importance to players whose teams win big trophies, like the Champions League or the World Cup, instead of focusing on pure individual talent. Also, the voting is only done by journalists, which some say is a problem since players, coaches, and ex-footballers are left out of the process.
The Selection Process: How the Winner is Chosen
1. Voting Criteria and Jury Composition
The Ballon d’Or winner is decided in a two-step system. First, journalists from France Football and L’Équipe make a shortlist of 30 players for the men’s and women’s award. They chose these players based on their performance last season. Sometimes, a few former players also give their opinions. In the final stage, one journalist from each of the top 100 FIFA-ranked countries votes for the men’s Ballon d’Or. For the women’s award, 50 journalists take part. Each journalist ranks their top 10 players. Points are given like this:- 1st place: 15 points
- 2nd place: 12 points
- 3rd place: 10 points
- 4th to 10th place: 8, 7, 5, 4, 3, 2, and 1 point
- Individual performance, like skills, key moments, and overall impact.
- Team success, like trophies won and contributions to the team’s results.
- Fair play and behavior, like how the player acts on and off the pitch.
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