Ballon d’Or 2025: Nominees, Live Updates & Top Contenders
The night has finally arrived for football’s most prestigious individual awards: Ballon d’Or 2025. From red carpet glitz in Paris to surprising nominations, here’s everything you need to know:
Ceremony Details: When & Where
The 2025 Ballon d’Or ceremony is set for September 22, 2025 at Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris. The event kicks off with red carpet arrivals and special guest appearances, followed by award announcements for a range of honours including the men’s and women’s Ballon d’Or, Kopa Trophy, Yashin Trophy, and more.
Viewers in the U.S. can watch the live show on CBS Sports Golazo Network, while in other regions services like SonyLIV or the France Football site will carry streaming options.
Who’s Nominated: Men & Women Shortlists
Here’s the rundown:
- Men’s Nominees include: Ousmane Dembélé (PSG), Lamine Yamal (Barcelona), Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid), Gianluigi Donnarumma, Virgil van Dijk, and others.
- Women’s Nominees feature stars like Aitana Bonmatí, Lucy Bronze, Mariona Caldentey, Chloe Kelly, and several top performers from Barcelona, Arsenal, Chelsea.
These shortlists reflect an exciting mix of established stars and rising talents, especially youth like Yamal who are making strong cases for major recognition.
Live Updates & Special Awards
While the main Ballon d’Or awards are the highlight, several other trophies have already been awarded or announced:
- Kopa Trophy (best under-21 men): won by Lamine Yamal.
- Women’s Kopa Trophy: claimed by Vicky López.
- Yashin Trophies: For men and women goalkeepers—winners include Gianluigi Donnarumma among men.
- Coach Awards (Johan Cruyff Trophy), Club of the Year, Socrates Award for social/humanitarian efforts, and Golden Boot style awards for scoring are all part of the ceremony.
Top Contenders & What Might Decide the Winner
Here are the names to watch and the strengths that might push them over the line:
- Ousmane Dembélé (PSG): Entering as the frontrunner in the men’s category thanks to a stellar season, high goal contributions, and a big role in PSG’s Champions League campaign. CBSSports.com
- Lamine Yamal (Barcelona): Already won the Kopa Trophy again; young, dynamic, and key in both domestic and international competitions. He’s one of the biggest wildcards: impressive impact, but still young.
- Jude Bellingham, Virgil van Dijk, Mohamed Salah are also strong in the voting polls. Their consistency, stats, and influence across club and international football make them serious contenders.
- For women, the race is more open: several high-performing candidates but no clear favourite. Names like Bonmatí, Kelly, Putellas appear frequently in predictions.
What might decide it: team performance in Champions League, trophies won, personal stats (goals, assists), plus narrative (comebacks, breakthrough seasons).
FAQ – Ballon d’Or 2025 Nominees and Winners
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| When is the ceremony being held? | September 22, 2025, at Théâtre du Châtelet, Paris. |
| How can I watch? | In the U.S.: CBS Sports Golazo Network. In other regions: streaming via France Football, SonyLIV, and local networks. |
| Who are some leading nominees? | Ousmane Dembélé; Lamine Yamal; Jude Bellingham among men; for women: Aitana Bonmatí, Chloe Kelly, Lucy Bronze, Mariona Caldentey. ESPN.com |
| What is the Kopa Trophy? | Award for best male player under 21; winner this year was Lamine Yamal. |
| What other awards are being given? | Yashin Trophies (best goalkeeper), Coach of Year (Johan Cruyff), Womens Club of Year, Club of the Year, the Socrates Prize for humanitarian work. |
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