The Ballon d’Or 2025 nominations have been announced, showcasing a fresh lineup of football stars with Paris Saint-Germain dominating the shortlist. Here’s everything you need to know about this year’s award.
The 2025 Ballon d’Or promises a fresh winner for the second consecutive year, as last year’s champion Rodrigo Hernández Cascante, popularly known as “Rodri,” is absent from this year’s 30-man shortlist announced on Thursday. Paris Saint-Germain leads the nominations with nine players following their impressive Champions League triumph, while football legends Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are notably missing.
A New Chapter in the Ballon d’Or History
Rodri, the Manchester City midfielder who was a surprise winner of the 2024 Ballon d’Or, failed to make the cut this year. His absence comes after a knee ligament injury prematurely ended his season before he secured last year’s award in October 2024.
Lionel Messi, who claimed his eighth Ballon d’Or in 2023, and Cristiano Ronaldo, a five-time winner, are both absent from the list, signaling a shift in football’s elite.
PSG’s Dominance and Other Top Clubs Represented
Paris Saint-Germain, fresh off their Champions League victory, boast nine nominees, the highest of any club. Barcelona follows with four nominees, including the youngest candidate, 18-year-old Lamine Yamal, and veteran Robert Lewandowski, 36.
Real Madrid, who notably boycotted last year’s ceremony in protest after Rodri’s win over their star Vinicius Jr, have three nominees this year, including Vinicius himself.
Napoli, rewarded for their Serie A title, have a single nominee—Scott McTominay. The Scottish midfielder is notable as the first Scottish nominee since Ally McCoist in 1987, and if victorious, would be only the second Scot to win the award after Denis Law in 1964.
Ballon d’Or 2025 nominations breakdown by club
| Club | Number of Nominees | Players |
|---|---|---|
| Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) | 9 | Ousmane Dembele, Gianluigi Donnarumma, Desire Doue, Achraf Hakimi, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Nuno Mendes, Joao Neves, Fabian Ruiz, Vitinha |
| Barcelona | 4 | Lamine Yamal, Robert Lewandowski, Pedri, Raphinha |
| Liverpool | 4 | Alexis Mac Allister, Virgil van Dijk, Mohamed Salah, Florian Wirtz |
| Real Madrid | 3 | Jude Bellingham, Kylian Mbappé, Vinicius |
| Arsenal | 2 | Viktor Gyokeres, Declan Rice |
| Bayern Munich | 2 | Harry Kane, Michael Olise |
| Inter Milan | 2 | Denzel Dumfries, Lautaro Martinez |
| Manchester City | 1 | Erling Haaland |
| Dortmund | 1 | Serhou Guirassy |
| Napoli | 1 | Scott McTominay |
| Chelsea | 1 | Cole Palmer |
Key Stats:
- PSG dominate with 9 nominees – the most from a single club.
- Barcelona and Liverpool are joint second with 4 each.
- 11 different clubs are represented in total.
The Full List of 30 Ballon d’Or Nominees for 2025
- Ousmane Dembele (FRA/PSG)
- Gianluigi Donnarumma (ITA/PSG)
- Jude Bellingham (ENG/Real Madrid)
- Desire Doue (FRA/PSG)
- Denzel Dumfries (NED/Inter Milan)
- Serhou Guirassy (GUI/Dortmund)
- Erling Haaland (NOR/Manchester City)
- Viktor Gyokeres (SWE/Arsenal)
- Achraf Hakimi (MAR/PSG)
- Harry Kane (ENG/Bayern)
- Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (GEO/PSG)
- Robert Lewandowski (POL/Barcelona)
- Alexis Mac Allister (ARG/Liverpool)
- Lautaro Martinez (ARG/Inter Milan)
- Scott McTominay (SCO/Napoli)
- Kylian Mbappé (FRA/Real Madrid)
- Nuno Mendes (POR/PSG)
- Joao Neves (POR/PSG)
- Pedri (ESP/Barcelona)
- Cole Palmer (ENG/Chelsea)
- Michael Olise (FRA/Bayern)
- Raphinha (BRA/Barcelona)
- Declan Rice (ENG/Arsenal)
- Fabian Ruiz (SCO/PSG)
- Virgil van Dijk (NED/Liverpool)
- Vinicius (BRA/Real Madrid)
- Mohamed Salah (EGY/Liverpool)
- Florian Wirtz (GER/Liverpool)
- Vitinha (POR/PSG)
- Lamine Yamal (ESP/Barcelona
When and Where
The winner of the 2025 Ballon d’Or will be unveiled on September 22 at the prestigious ceremony held in Paris
