The 2025 Ballon d'Or ceremony takes place on the evening of 22/9 at the Chatelet Theater, Paris (2 a.m. on 23/9 Hanoi time). This is the 69th time the event has been organized by France Football magazine, to honor outstanding individuals, teams, and coaches of the 2024-2025 season.
In addition to the men's and women's Ballon d'Or, the gala also awards many other categories such as best goalkeeper (Yashin Trophy), best young player (Kopa Trophy), top scorer (Gerd Muller Trophy), best coach (Johan Cruyff Trophy), club of the year, and the Socrates Award for social contribution. This year, for the first time, women's football has three additional categories: Yashin, Kopa, and Gerd Muller.
The 30 nominees for the men's Ballon d'Or include Ousmane Dembele, Kylian Mbappe, Mohamed Salah, Raphinha, Vinicius Junior, and young talent Lamine Yamal. PSG, the reigning Champions League winners, have the most representatives with 9 players, a record in the award's history.
 |
The 2023 Ballon d'Or, previously awarded to Lionel Messi and Aitana Bonmati. Photo: Reuters |
The 2023 Ballon d'Or, previously awarded to Lionel Messi and Aitana Bonmati. Photo: Reuters
The leading candidate this year is Dembele. The French star played a major role in PSG's historic treble, performing explosively in both Ligue 1 and the Champions League. His form since the start of 2025 makes him the favorite. However, several other names have also impressed. Salah continues to maintain a high level of performance. Raphinha shone as he led Barca to the La Liga title. Yamal made his mark at the age of 18, while Mbappe maintained his class with 43 goals for Real Madrid.
The women's award also has 30 nominees, including reigning winner Aitana Bonmati, along with Alexia Putellas, Graham Hansen, and Lucy Bronze.
The Kopa Trophy for young players features many promising faces such as Yamal, Joao Neves, Pau Cubarsi, Estevao, and Kenan Yildiz. On the women's side, there are Linda Caicedo, Vicky Lopez, and Michelle Agyemang.
The Yashin Trophy for goalkeepers includes Courtois, Donnarumma, Alisson, and Emiliano Martinez for the men; and Ann-Katrin Berger, Cata Coll, and Hannah Hampton for the women.
Nominees for best coach include Luis Enrique (PSG), Antonio Conte (Napoli), Hansi Flick (Barca), Enzo Maresca (Chelsea), and Arne Slot (Liverpool). For the women, the nominees are Sonia Bompastor (Chelsea), Sarina Wiegman (England national team), and Renee Slegers (Arsenal).
The nominated clubs for the men are Barca, PSG, Liverpool, Chelsea, and Botafogo. For the women, the nominees are Barca, Chelsea, Arsenal, Lyon, and Orlando Pride.
The gala, hosted by Ruud Gullit and journalist Kate Scott, will last over two hours. Ronaldinho will present the men's Ballon d'Or, 20 years after he won the only one of his career.
Last year, Rodri (Man City) and Aitana Bonmati (Barca) won the Ballon d'Or. This year, all eyes are on Dembele, and the competition promises many surprises.
Quang Dung - Hoang An
