Ballon d’Or 2025: Dembele and Yamal Lead Contenders for Top Awards

The anticipation for the 2025 Ballon d’Or is building as top contenders are emerging for this prestigious award. Ousmane Dembele of Paris Saint-Germain and Lamine Yamal from Barcelona are among the favorites for the men’s and Kopa Trophy respectively. Despite rumors, PSG will not be boycotting the awards ceremony; their absence is due to a scheduling conflict with a Ligue 1 match against Marseille on October 30, 2025.

The 2024 Ballon d’Or ceremony saw notable winners, including Rodri from Manchester City, who claimed the Men’s Ballon d’Or. The Women’s Ballon d’Or was awarded to Aitana Bonmatí of Barcelona. Other significant accolades included the Kopa Trophy for the best young player awarded to Lamine Yamal, and the Yashin Trophy for the best goalkeeper, which went to Emiliano Martínez of Aston Villa.

The list of contenders for the 2025 men’s award includes some of the biggest names in football. Alongside Dembele, players such as Harry Kane from Bayern Munich, Kylian Mbappé of Real Madrid, Raphinha from Barcelona, and Mohamed Salah of Liverpool are all in the running.

In the women’s category, the competition remains fierce. Top candidates include Aitana Bonmati (Barcelona), Alessia Russo (Arsenal), Alexia Putellas (Barcelona), Claudia Pina (Barcelona), Lucy Bronze (Chelsea), and Mariona Caldentey (Arsenal).

As the football world gears up for the upcoming ceremony, fans are eagerly awaiting to see which athletes will emerge victorious in this year’s awards. The ceremony promises to celebrate the achievements of the players who have made a significant impact on the sport over the past year.