Ballon d’Or 2025: World’s Best Male, Female Footballers to be crowned in Paris

The world’s finest footballers will be honoured this Monday at the prestigious Ballon d’Or ceremony taking place at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris.

The event will reveal the winners of both the men’s and women’s categories, recognising the standout performers from the 2024–25 season.

Thirty nominees were announced last month, and anticipation is high over who will walk away with football’s most coveted individual prize. According to BBC Sport, the performances of six leading contenders in each category were analysed, with statistics drawn from last season.

For the men’s award, Paris Saint-Germain’s Ousmane Dembélé leads the pack after firing his club to Ligue 1 glory, the Champions League crown, and a Club World Cup final. England’s Harry Kane, who finally lifted his first major trophy with Bayern Munich, remains a strong contender after a record-breaking scoring campaign. Kylian Mbappé impressed in his debut season with Real Madrid, netting 44 goals, while Barcelona’s Raphinha, Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah, and 18-year-old sensation Lamine Yamal are also firmly in the mix.

In the women’s category, Barcelona’s Aitana Bonmatí is chasing a historic third consecutive Ballon d’Or, while her teammate Alexia Putellas also remains in contention for her third crown. Arsenal’s Alessia Russo, who won the Champions League and Euro 2025, is another frontrunner. Claudia Pina of Barcelona, Chelsea’s Lucy Bronze, and Arsenal’s Mariona Caldentey complete the list of top contenders after stellar campaigns.

The winners will be unveiled tonight in Paris as the football world watches to see who claims the ultimate individual honours.