Men's Ballon d’Or 2025: Who Will Claim the Crown?
Paris will once again be the centre of the football universe on Monday night when the 69th Ballon d’Or ceremony unfolds. For one night, the stars of world football gather to see who will be immortalized as the best of the best for the 2024–25 season.
For the fourth time in history, the award will be judged on a season basis, not the calendar year. From August 2024 to July 2025; every goal, every trophy, every magical moment is under the microscope.
Like in 2024, there is no Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo among the nominees anoymore. The old kings of football’s golden throne are absent. And a new generation is here to fight for glory.
Last year, Manchester City’s midfield maestro Rodri lifted the prize. Messi still holds the record with eight Ballons d’Or, while Ronaldo has been nominated more times than anyone – eighteen. But the 2025 edition? It’s wide open.
The Favorites: Why Each One Can Win
Ousmane Dembélé – PSG (France)
Dembélé is riding the wave of PSG’s historic continental treble — Ligue 1, Coupe de France, and, above all, the Champions League. He wasn’t just there; he owned the big nights, delivering decisive goals and assists. With 30+ goals and nearly as many assists across all competitions, plus the honor of being named Champions League Player of the Season, he stands as the most complete candidate. If the Ballon d’Or is about clutch performances on the biggest stage, Dembélé is the man to beat.
Lamine Yamal – Barcelona (Spain)
At just 17, Yamal is already rewriting history. The teenage prodigy carried Barcelona to a domestic treble – La Liga, Copa del Rey, and the Supercopa – dazzling fans and opponents alike with his creativity, vision, and fearless dribbling. Awards keep piling up: Best Young Player in Spain, breakthrough star of Europe, and countless match-winning displays. He is the face of the future, but his present is already golden. A victory here would mark the dawn of a new era.
Vitinha – PSG (Portugal)
Every orchestra needs its conductor, and Vitinha was PSG’s heartbeat. Tireless, intelligent, and elegant, he controlled games from midfield and allowed the superstars around him to shine. He was central to PSG’s treble success, making the Champions League Team of the Season and proving he’s far more than a supporting act. Just as crucial for Portugal, he orchestrated the midfield in their Nations League triumph, proving he can dominate both in club colors and on the international stage. For voters who prize impact beyond goals, Vitinha offers the complete package.
Mohamed Salah – Liverpool (Egypt)
The King of the Kop is still ruling. Salah fired Liverpool to the Premier League title and topped the scoring charts along the way, cementing himself once more as the league’s deadliest forward. With goals, assists, and leadership, he delivered relentlessly in England’s toughest arenas, week after week, carrying his team in decisive moments. Crowned Premier League Player of the Season, he reminded the world that experience, consistency, and sheer star power still count in the Ballon d’Or race. Could 2025 finally be the year Egypt’s greatest ever claims football’s biggest prize?
Raphinha – Barcelona (Brazil)
Explosive, decisive, unstoppable. Raphinha delivered the best season of his career, producing goals and assists in double digits and stepping up in crucial Champions League matches. Often Barcelona’s game-changer when the team needed him most, the Brazilian winger added flair and firepower to Barça’s trophy haul. If the jury leans toward pure impact and spectacular football, Raphinha’s case is stronger than many think.
The Bigger Picture: A Generational Shift
This Ballon d’Or is more than just another award ceremony – it’s a turning point. With Messi and Ronaldo now out of the picture – having won a shared total of 13 of the 15 awards between 2008 and 2023 – football’s throne is truly vacant for the first time in two decades.
Will the crown go to Dembélé, the unstoppable talisman of PSG’s treble? To Yamal, the teenage prodigy destined for greatness? To Salah, the veteran king who refuses to fade? Or will Vitinha or Raphinha steal the spotlight with their own brand of brilliance?
The Verdict
On Monday night at Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris, the room will be thick with tension. The cameras will flash, the legends of the game will hold their breath, and one name will echo into history.
The Ballon d’Or is not just about numbers, not just about trophies – it’s about magic. About the moments that define an era.
This year, we’re not just witnessing a winner. We’re witnessing the start of a new chapter in football history.
Here are all 30 nominees for the Men's Ballon d'Or 2025
- Achraf Hakimi – Paris Saint-Germain
- Alexis Mac Allister – Liverpool
- Cole Palmer – Chelsea
- Declan Rice – Arsenal
- Denzel Dumfries – Inter Milan
- Désiré Doué – Paris Saint-Germain
- Erling Haaland – Manchester City
- Fabian Ruiz – Paris Saint-Germain
- Florian Wirtz – Bayer Leverkusen
- Gianluigi Donnarumma – Paris Saint-Germain
- Harry Kane – Bayern Munich
- Joao Neves – Paris Saint-Germain
- Jude Bellingham – Real Madrid
- Kvicha Kvaratskhelia – Paris Saint-Germain
- Kylian Mbappé – Real Madrid
- Lamine Yamal – Barcelona
- Lautaro Martinez – Inter Milan
- Michael Olise – Bayern Munich
- Mohamed Salah – Liverpool
- Nuno Mendes – Paris Saint-Germain
- Ousmane Dembélé – Paris Saint-Germain
- Pedri – Barcelona
- Raphinha – Barcelona
- Robert Lewandowski – Barcelona
- Scott McTominay – Napoli
- Serhou Guirassy – Borussia Dortmund
- Viktor Gyökeres – Sporting CP
- Vinicius Jr. – Real Madrid
- Virgil van Dijk – Liverpool
- Vitinha – Paris Saint-Germain