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Ballon d’Or 2025 Nominees Announced: Mbappé, Dembélé, and Yamal Lead a New Era

Nominees for the prestigious Ballon d'Or for men and women in 2025 have been revealed, along with candidates for other sought-after awards, ahead of the ceremony scheduled for September this year. The event honors the year's top football achievements worldwide. 

As reported by Sports Illustrated, top players from Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal are leading the lists, the Champions League winners in the men's and women's tournaments, respectively.

Last season saw several standout performances across different leagues; however, top European leagues again led the list of nominees. Last year, Rodri from Manchester City won the Men's Ballon d'Or. 

No Messi, Ronaldo as New Era Begins

Kylian Mbappé secures his eighth nomination, becoming equal to Ronaldo and Messi at the age of 26. Whilst Ousmane Dembélé is favored for having inspired Paris Saint-Germain to their first Champions League title - 5–0 against Inter Milan - and to Ligue 1 and domestic cup honors. 

Meanwhile, Barcelona's Lamine Yamal and Raphinha in the domestic treble under Hansi Flick might not be able to capitalize on their chances due to their European misfortunes.

Mohamed Salah was brilliant in a Premier League-winning season under Arne Slot but came away empty-handed in all three cups. The award will see the introduction of a name for the first time in 18 years with the absence of Rodri, Ronaldo, and Messi.

However, this year's list does not feature Rodri as he suffered an ACL injury in September 2024 and had to stay away from the field for a considerable period. 

Full Men’s Ballon d’Or Nominees Revealed

Meet the 30 contenders for the 2025 Men’s Ballon d’Or, honoring the three standout stars of the 2024-25 season.

Robert Lewandowski (Barcelona and Poland)

A legendary senior player for Barcelona in the 2024-25 season, Lewandowski set his best personal record with 42 goals in 52 games, while also remaining Poland’s all-time top scorer with 85 goals for his country.


Lamine Yamal (Barcelona and Spain)

Barcelona’s teenage prodigy dominated 2024-25 season with 18 goals and 21 assists and won La Liga and Copa, the youngest player to reach 100 Barca appearances, while scoring another six goals for Spain.


Ousmane Dembélé (PSG and France)


Despite his versatility across the front line with the French national setup, Dembélé scored 35 goals and added 16 assists in the 2024–25 campaign as France's forward led PSG to a treble.

Player

Club & Country

Gianluigi Donnarumma

(PSG and Italy)

Jude Bellingham

(Real Madrid and England)

Désiré Doué

(PSG and France)

Denzel Dumfries

(Internazionale and the Netherlands)

Serhou Guirassy

(Borussia Dortmund and Guinea)

Erling Haaland 

(Manchester City and Norway)

Viktor Gyökeres

(Arsenal and Sweden)

Achraf Hakimi 

(PSG and Morocco)

Harry Kane 

(Bayern Munich and England)

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia 

(PSG and Georgia)

Alexis Mac Allister 

(Liverpool and Argentina)

Lautaro Martinez 

(Internazionale and Argentina)

Scott McTominay 

(Napoli and Scotland)

Kylian Mbappé 

(Real Madrid and France)

Nuno Mendes 

(PSG and Portugal)

João Neves 

(PSG and Portugal)

Pedri 

(FC Barcelona and Spain)

Cole Palmer 

(Chelsea and England)

Michael Olise 

(Bayern Munich and France)

Raphinha 

(Barcelona and Brazil)

Declan Rice 

(Arsenal and England)

Fabián Ruiz 

(PSG and Spain)

Florian Wirtz 

(Liverpool and Spain)

Vitinha 

(PSG and Portugal)

Vinícius Júnior 

(Real Madrid and Brazil)

Virgil van Dijk 

(Liverpool and the Netherlands)

Mohamed Salah 

(Liverpool and Egypt)

Final Thoughts

The 2025 Ballon d’Or promises a fresh chapter, with new names set to claim football’s top honor. With legends Messi and Ronaldo absent, and Rodri sidelined, the stage is open for stars like Dembélé, Yamal, and Salah to etch their names into football history.