Ballon d’Or 2025: When are the nominees announced ahead of the hugely anticipated ceremony, and who are the favourites to win?

The 2025 Ballon d'Or ceremony is creeping ever closer, but before that, we need to know the nominees for the best 30 men's and women's players on the planet. Months of speculation over the winners will come to an end on 22 September, when the Ballon d'Or and Ballon d'Or Feminin trophies are handed out. In the meantime, the discussions are only going to intensify as to who will be in the running.

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With the 2024/25 season concluded in both the men’s and the women’s games, talk about who will lift the 2025 editions of the Ballon d’Or is hotting up.

There is no greater individual accolade than lifting the Ballon d’Or, which is awarded to the best player in the men’s and women’s game.

For men, it has been hosted by France Football since 1956, while the Ballon d’Or Feminin was introduced in 2018.

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This year will see the 69th edition of the awards, which will again take place at the spectacular Theatre du Chatelet in Paris, on 22 September 2025 - a whole month earlier than last year.

So, with the traditional lavish ceremony now fast approaching, when are the Ballon d’Or nominees announced?

When are the 2025 Ballon d'Or nominees announced?

Following the conclusion of the FIFA Club World Cup, the Ballon d’Or committee met at the Hotel de Crillon in Paris to discuss and decide the nominees for the men’s award.

Those names will be made public on 7 August, when the voting panel can begin to decide who they may choose as the world’s best player.

For the women, the nominees will be chosen at a later date following the recent finish of the Euros and the Copa America.

How does the Ballon d'Or voting work?

With the committee, which is made up of journalists from France Football and L’Equipe, choosing 30 names, there are a select number of players that can be voted for.

Once the two lists are released, one football journalist from each of the top 100 FIFA-ranked nations will cast a vote for their top 10 players.

Within their top 10, there is a points system, which is then tallied up and used to work out the winner of the Ballon d’Or.

The points are awarded as follows:

First Place: 15 points
Second Place: 12 points
Third place: 10 points
Fourth place: 8 points
Fifth place: 7 points
Sixth place: 5 points
Seventh place: 4 points
Eighth place: 3 points
Ninth place: 2 points
Tenth place: 1 point

The winner is the player with the most points, while the rankings will be revealed live during the ceremony on 22 September from 30th down up to second, before revealing the winner.

Why is the Ballon d'Or ceremony earlier?

This year will be the fourth season that the award has been based on the previous season, rather than the calendar year.

For the 2021 Ballon d’Or, the last time it was done differently, the award covered from August 2020 until November 2021, meaning effectively a season and a half was covered.

Since 2022 though, the award has changed to cover the full season, meaning it runs from August through to the end of whichever major tournaments take place that summer, and re-setting the following August.

Who are the favourites to win the 2025 Ballon d'Or?

Unsurprisingly, for the men’s award, the favourites largely comprise of players from Paris Saint-Germain, after they emphatically won the treble, including finally breaking their UEFA Champions League duck with a comfortable 5-0 win over Internazionale.

That leaves the likes of Vitinha, Ousmane Dembele, Nuno Mendes, Achraf Hakimi and Gianluigi Donnarumma almost certain to be among the 30 nominees.

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There are likely to be significant Barcelona representatives too, after they won the domestic double and reached the Champions League semi-finals – most notably wing duo Raphinha and Lamine Yamal, who dazzled throughout the season.

After the Club World Cup, in which Chelsea dispatched PSG 3-0 in the final, Cole Palmer has shot up the pecking order after his brace and assist, which saw him claim the Player of the Match award to add to his collection, after also winning it in the UEFA Conference League final.

With the Euros and Copa America only just finishing in the women's game, the time is now to consider who has made their mark.

Having won the Champions League, there will be Arsenal representation, with Alessia Russo finishing as WSL top scorer and as the second-highest scorer in the Champions League, and Mariona Caldentey impressing.

Stina Blackstenius is also a contender, after Sweden reached the quarter-finals of the Euros.

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The usual suspects of Aitana Bonmati and Alexia Putellas are certain to be among the frontrunners too, despite the Champions League defeat and losing in the final in the Euros to England, whose leading lights will surely feature among the nominees.

After Chelsea won the treble, it must be assumed someone will make the final 30, though with Millie Bright and Erin Cuthbert not at the Euros, who that may be is not clear.

What other awards will be handed out that night?

Alongside the Ballon d’Or and Ballon d’Or Feminin, there will be a further eight awards presented on 22 September:

Kopa Trophy (Best player under 21 years old)
Yashin Trophy (Best goalkeeper)
Gerd Muller Trophy (Top goalscorer from 2024/25 season)
Socrates Award (For best humanitarian work)
Men’s Club of the Year
Women’s Club of the Year
Men’s Coach of the Year
Women’s Coach of the Year

Who are the current holders of the Ballons d'Or?

Manchester City and Spain midfielder Rodri won the men’s award in 2024, beating Real Madrid and Brazil winger Vinicius by 41 points, with Madrid teammate Jude Bellingham coming third.

In doing so, Rodri became the first Spaniard to win the award since Luis Suarez in 1960.

Aitana Bonmati and Rodri pose with their Ballon d'Or awards in 2024

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It was to be a Spanish clean sweep as Barcelona midfielder Bonmati claimed her second consecutive award, holding off teammates Caroline Graham Hansen and Salma Paralluelo.

Bonmati and Putellas have won the last four editions of the Ballon d’Or combined, meaning the last time a player not from Barcelona won the Ballon d’Or Feminin was in 2019, when Megan Rapinoe beat Lucy Bronze to the award.

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Thoughts?