The highly anticipated nominees for the 2025 Ballon d'Or awards have been officially announced by France Football magazine. The list of 30 contenders for both the men's and women's main prizes, along with nominees for other categories, was revealed on Thursday, August 7. The winners will be crowned at a ceremony in Paris on September 22.
The men's shortlist is heavily influenced by the success of Paris Saint-Germain, who won a historic treble, including their first-ever Champions League title. Nine players from the French club are among the nominees, with Ousmane Dembélé, who scored 35 goals last season, being an early favorite. He is joined by his PSG teammates Gianluigi Donnarumma, Désiré Doué, Achraf Hakimi, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Nuno Mendes, João Neves, Fabián Ruiz, and Vitinha.
Other notable names on the men's list include Jude Bellingham and Kylian Mbappé from Real Madrid, Erling Haaland of Manchester City, and Harry Kane from Bayern Munich. The Premier League is also well-represented with players like Mohamed Salah (Liverpool), Declan Rice (Arsenal), and Cole Palmer (Chelsea) all making the cut.
For the women's award, the list of 30 nominees features players from the recent Women's European Championship. England's Chloe Kelly, who scored the decisive penalty in the final, is a top contender. She faces strong competition from a number of Spanish players, including Aitana Bonmatí, the winner of the past two awards, and Alexia Putellas, a two-time winner herself.
The Ballon d'Or ceremony also features a number of other awards. The Yashin Trophy for the best goalkeeper includes Gianluigi Donnarumma and Hannah Hampton among its nominees. The Kopa Trophy for the best young player has a number of exciting prospects, such as Lamine Yamal and Désiré Doué. Other awards to be presented include the Gerd Müller Trophy for top scorer, the Johan Cruyff Trophy for best coach, and the Club of the Year awards for both men's and women's teams.
The winners of the Ballon d'Or are decided by a voting process involving journalists from the top 100 FIFA-ranked countries for the men's award and the top 50 for the women's. The journalists evaluate the nominees based on three main criteria: individual performances and decisive character, team performances and achievements, and a player's class and fair play. This year's awards will be based on the performances during the 2024-2025 season.
