The shortlist for world football's most prestigious individual award has been revealed ahead of the ceremony in Paris on September 22
The Ballon d'Or. Love it or loathe it, it's the award every footballer in the world dreams of one day winning. And now, after a memorable 2024-25 campaign, the shortlist of nominees for the 2025 Golden Ball has been announced.
There are a host of top names vying to claim the prize that Rodri took home in 2024, with performances over the past 12 months – including at the recent Club World Cup – having been taken into account when selecting this year's list of potential winners.
Who will take home the prize? Paris Saint-Germain forward Ousmane Dembele is the favourite with the bookmakers after his electric form in front of goal fired the French side to the treble, including their first-ever Champions League title, though he could face competition from within his own dressing room, with Vitinha and Achraf Hakimi among a clutch of PSG stars who have genuine cases to win themselves.
Elsewhere, Lamine Yamal truly announced himself as the game's next superstar with his outstanding performances for Barcelona, while both his team-mate Raphinha and Liverpool's Mohamed Salah returned remarkable goal and assist numbers on the way to securing league titles for their respective sides.
We will have to wait until the ceremony in Paris on Monday, September 22 to find out who will come out on top; for now, here are the players who have been shortlisted for football's ultimate individual honour:
AFPJude Bellingham (Real Madrid)
One of England's brightest hopes in a generation, the midfielder has been nominated again after finishing on the podium in 2024. The midfielder netted 15 goals and registered 15 assists in all competitions in 2024-25, but Madrid's failure to win either the Champions League or La Liga makes a victory unlikely this time around.
AdvertisementGetty ImagesOusmane Dembele (Paris Saint-Germain)
The favourite for the Ballon d'Or, if you trust the bookmakers, after a remarkable season that saw PSG win the Champions League and Ligue 1 while Dembele developed into the player he was always meant to be. The Frenchman won every competition there was to win, and scored 37 goals along the way, while also providing 16 assists. He has finally arrived.
AFPGianluigi Donnarumma (Paris Saint-Germain)
PSG's goalkeeper played a key role in their multiple triumphs, notably the Champions League. While it has now been 62 years since Lev Yashin became the first, and thus far only goalkeeper to win the Ballon d'Or, there is always a place for the world's best shot-stoppers on the shortlist of nominees, and Donnarumma separated himself from the pack in 2025 thanks to his outstanding performances in the European knockout rounds.
GettyDesire Doue (Paris Saint-Germain)
Doue wasn't always a guaranteed starter for PSG, but whenever he got on the pitch, he made sure not to waste a minute. That resulted in the summer signing from Rennes enjoying a debut campaign to remember, capped by his performances in the knockout rounds of the Champions League. He scored a grand total of 16 goals, and also provided 16 assists, culminating in a brilliant brace in the Champions League final as Inter were blown away.