September 22, 2025
Paris Saint-Germain forward Ousmane Dembele is widely expected to hold off Barcelona teenager Lamine Yamal and claim the men’s Ballon d’Or on Monday, while Aitana Bonmati is tipped to secure a third consecutive women’s crown.
The football world will converge on the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris for the prestigious ceremony, which has been dominated in the past by Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, who won the award 13 times between them from 2008 to 2023. Last year, the prize went to Manchester City’s Rodri after captaining Spain to Euro 2024 glory, but an injury-plagued season has kept him out of contention this time.
Dembele, 28, has emerged as the frontrunner from a star-studded list of nominees that includes nine PSG players following their Champions League triumph—a dazzling 5-0 demolition of Inter Milan in the final. Alongside Dembele, the nominees include Achraf Hakimi, Desire Doue, Nuno Mendes, Joao Neves, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Fabian Ruiz, Vitinha, and Gianluigi Donnarumma, now at Manchester City.
The Frenchman enjoyed a stellar campaign, scoring 35 goals and stepping into the void left by Kylian Mbappe’s departure. His contributions helped PSG secure a domestic clean sweep and reach the Club World Cup final, underlining his transformation from winger to prolific centre-forward. “It is nice after what was a wonderful season with PSG. I think it’s true that I am one of the favourites, but we will see what happens,” Dembele told Le Monde.
Yamal, only 18, is viewed as Dembele’s closest rival. The Barcelona winger has been hailed as Messi’s heir after an extraordinary breakout season in which he scored 18 goals in 55 matches, guiding his club to the La Liga title and Copa del Rey. He also helped Spain to European Championship success, and last year he collected the Kopa Trophy for the best player under 21. “I don’t dream of winning one Ballon d’Or, I dream of winning lots,” Yamal recently said.
Other contenders for the award include Viktor Gyökeres, Erling Haaland, Harry Kane, Cole Palmer, Liverpool duo Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk, as well as Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior. The winners will be decided by a panel of journalists from the top 100 FIFA-ranked nations, while the women’s award will be voted for by representatives from the top 50 countries.
The stage is now set in Paris for football’s biggest individual honour, with Dembele and Yamal at the heart of the battle for the 2025 Ballon d’Or.
