The Ballon d’Or is football’s most prestigious individual award, coveted by players worldwide. Every year, the grand ceremony draws attention as the footballing world awaits to see who will be crowned the best. This year, the 69th edition of the Ballon d’Or takes place today (Monday) at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées in Paris, with several top players in contention.

As customary, the ceremony will honour:

• Europe’s best male and female footballers
• Best goalkeeper
• Best young player
• Top scorer
• Outstanding coach

However, the main focus typically remains on the Best Male Footballer award. Historically, the Ballon d’Or race has been dominated by Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, who have won the accolade eight and five times respectively.

This year, with both Messi and Ronaldo in the twilight of their careers, neither features in the shortlist of 30 players.

The shortlist includes stars such as Jude Bellingham, Erling Haaland, Kylian Mbappé, Harry Kane, Robert Lewandowski, and Vinicius Junior. Among them, three players are seen as front-runners for the award:

1. Ousmane Dembélé – The French winger who helped Paris Saint-Germain secure a treble is the top favourite. Dembélé was also named Champions League Player of the Season, and his combination of scoring and assisting goals puts him ahead of the competition. French media outlets widely predict him as the likely winner.
2. Raphinha – Barcelona’s Brazilian forward has surged into contention, challenging Dembélé in the final stages of the race.
3. Lamine Yamal – Also from Barcelona, Yamal had long been expected to contend primarily with Dembélé.

All three play at the club level in France and Spain, making the competition even more intriguing.

Full Shortlist for Ballon d’Or 2025

The anticipation for Ballon d’Or 2025 is building as football fans across the globe speculate on who will ultimately claim football’s highest individual honour.