The 2025 edition of the Ballon d’Or, the most prestigious individual soccer prize, will take place on Monday in Paris live on Paramount+. After the 2024 edition, when Manchester City’s Rodri won the prize while Real Madrid’s Vinicius Jr. decided not to attend the event that takes place at the Theatre du Chatelet, there are even more expectations this year as PSG striker Ousmane Dembele is considered the frontrunner to get the Ballon d’Or but might not be there.
On top of the most notable individual prize on the men’s side, there will also be a version for the best female player, as well as young talents, goalkeepers, top scorers, coaches, clubs, and also the humanitarian Socrates Award, a special honor that recognizes a footballer (male or female) for their humanitarian and social initiatives off the pitch. Here’s all you need to know ahead of Monday’s ceremony:
The world’s best soccer players will be honored at the 2025 Ballon d’Or in Paris on Monday. Golazo Network will begin with red carpet coverage at 2PM ET followed by the ceremony at 3PM ET which will feature CBS Sports’ own Kate Scott as a host.
How to watch the 2025 Ballon d’Or ceremony
- Date: Monday, Sept. 22 | Time: Red Carpet: 2 p.m. ET; Ceremony: 3 p.m. ET
- Location: Theatre du Chatelet — Paris, France
- Watch: Paramount+
Voting system: How does it work?
The voting system is based on three factors: individual performances, team achievements and career. A panel of 100 sports journalists for the men’s award and 50 for the women’s select their top 10 picks for each award. Each spot in the top 10 earns a specific number of points that are then tallied.
- 15 points
- 12 points
- 10 points
- 8 points
- 7 points
- 5 points
- 4 points
- 3 points
- 2 points
- 1 point
Additionally, the Kopa Trophy, awarded to the best young player, has a different voting system with a jury made up of former Ballon d’Or winners.
All the categories
The 2025 edition’s biggest change is the total parity between men and women trophies. All the awards will be presented to both men and women with no differences. Let’s take a look at all the prizes that will be awarded in Paris:
- Men’s Ballon d’Or (best male player, 2024-25 season)
- Women’s Ballon d’Or (best female player, 2024-25 season)
- Men’s Kopa Trophy (best male U21 player)
- Women’s Kopa Trophy (best female young player)
- Men’s Yashin Trophy (best male goalkeeper)
- Women’s Yashin Trophy (best female goalkeeper)
- Men’s Gerd Müller Trophy (top male goalscorer for club/national team)
- Women’s Gerd Müller Trophy (top female goalscorer)
- Men’s Johan Cruyff Trophy (best male coach, club/national team)
- Women’s Johan Cruyff Trophy (best female coach)
- Men’s Club of the Year Trophy
- Women’s Club of the Year Trophy
- Socrates Award
What happened in 2024?
The 2024 edition of the Ballon d’Or was deeply affected by what happened with Real Madrid as the Spanish side’s delegation decided not to attend the ceremony once it emerged that Rodri would become City’s first-ever Ballon d’Or winner, creating a lot of noise around the event especially as they were awarded as Team of the Year and Carlo Ancelotti was also named as Coach of the Year. The team owned by Spanish businessman Florentino Perez publicly expressed disagreements with how French Football handled the ceremony and awards, and issued a statement saying that “if the award criteria doesn’t give it to Vinicius as the winner, then those same criteria should point to Carvajal as the winner. As this was not the case, it is clear that Ballon d’Or-Uefa does not respect Real Madrid. And Real Madrid does not go where it is not respected.”
Will Dembele attend the event?
The likely winner of the 2025 edition might not attend the event on Monday, as PSG’s away match against Olympique Marseille was postponed to the same day due to storms forecasted in the region on Sunday. According to multiple reports, Dembele’s presence at the Theatre du Chatelet is in doubt even if he’s currently injured and he’s not expected to play the match against Roberto De Zerbi’s side. Especially after what happened last year with Real Madrid, the nominees won’t know who won the award until Monday night, which would make the presence of Dembele even more crucial.
2025 Men’s Ballon d’Or nominees
Jude Bellingham (England, Real Madrid)
Ousmane Dembélé (France, Paris Saint-Germain)
Gianluigi Donnarumma (Italy, Paris Saint-Germain/Manchester City)
Désiré Doué (France, Paris Saint-Germain)
Denzel Dumfries (Netherlands, Inter)
Serhou Guirassy (Guinea, Borussia Dortmund)
Viktor Gyökeres (Sweden, Sporting CP/Arsenal)
Erling Haaland (Norway, Manchester City)
Achraf Hakimi (Morocco, Paris Saint-Germain)
Harry Kane (England, Bayern)
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (Georgia, Napoli/Paris Saint-Germain)
Robert Lewandowski (Poland, Barcelona)
Alexis Mac Allister (Argentina, Liverpool)
Lautaro Martínez (Argentina, Inter)
Kylian Mbappé (France, Real Madrid)
Scott McTominay (Scotland, Napoli)
Nuno Mendes (Portugal, Paris Saint-Germain)
João Neves (Portugal, Paris Saint-Germain)
Michael Olise (France, Bayern)
Cole Palmer (England, Chelsea)
Pedri (Spain, Barcelona)
Raphinha (Brazil, Barcelona)
Declan Rice (England, Arsenal)
Fabián Ruiz (Spain, Paris Saint-Germain)
Mohamed Salah (Egypt, Liverpool)
Virgil van Dijk (Netherlands, Liverpool)
Vinícius Júnior (Brazil, Real Madrid)
Vitinha (Portugal, Paris Saint-Germain)
Florian Wirtz (Germany, Leverkusen/Liverpool)
Lamine Yamal (Spain, Barcelona)
2026 Women’s Ballon d’Or nominees
Sandy Baltimore (France, Chelsea)
Barbra Banda (Zambia, Orlando Pride)
Aitana Bonmatí (Spain, Barcelona)
Lucy Bronze (England, Chelsea)
Klara Bühl (Germany, Bayern)
Mariona Caldentey (Spain, Arsenal)
Sofia Cantore (Italy, Juventus/Washington Spirit)
Steph Catley (Australia, Arsenal)
Temwa Chawinga (Malawi, Kansas City)
Melchie Dumornay (Haiti, OL Lyonnes)
Emily Fox (United States, Arsenal)
Cristiana Girelli (Italy, Juventus)
Esther González (Spain, Gotham FC)
Caroline Graham Hansen (Norway, Barcelona)
Patri Guijarro (Spain, Barcelona)
Amanda Gutierres (Brazil, Palmeiras)
Hannah Hampton (England, Chelsea)
Pernille Harder (Denmark, Bayern)
Lindsey Heaps (United States, OL Lyonnes)
Chloe Kelly (England, Manchester City/Arsenal)
Frida Leonhardsen Maanum (Norway, Arsenal)
Marta (Brazil, Orlando Pride)
Clara Mateo (France, Paris FC)
Ewa Pajor (Poland, Barcelona)
Clàudia Pina (Spain, Barcelona)
Alexia Putellas (Spain, Barcelona)
Alessia Russo (England, Arsenal)
Johanna Rytting Kaneryd (Sweden, Chelsea)
Caroline Weir (Scotland, Real Madrid)
Leah Williamson (England, Arsenal)
Men’s Kopa Trophy nominees
Ayyoub Bouaddi (France, Lille)
Pau Cubarsí (Spain, Barcelona)
Désiré Doué (France, Paris Saint-Germain)
Estêvão (Brazil, Palmeiras/Chelsea)
Dean Huijsen (Spain, Bournemouth/Real Madrid)
Myles Lewis-Skelly (England, Arsenal)
Rodrigo Mora (Portugal, Porto)
João Neves (Portugal, Paris Saint-Germain)
Lamine Yamal (Spain, Barcelona)
Kenan Yıldız (Türkiye, Juventus)
Women’s Kopa Trophy nominees
Michelle Agyemang (England, Brighton)
Linda Caicedo (Colombia, Real Madrid)
Wieke Kaptein (Netherlands, Chelsea)
Vicky López (Spain, Barcelona)
Claudia Martínez Ovando (Paraguay, Club Olimpia)
Men’s Yashin Trophy 2025 nominees
Alisson Becker (Brazil, Liverpool)
Yassine Bounou (Morocco, Al Hilal)
Lucas Chevalier (France, Lille/Paris Saint-Germain)
Thibaut Courtois (Belgium, Real Madrid)
Gianluigi Donnarumma (Italy, Paris Saint-Germain/Manchester City)
Emiliano Martínez (Argentina, Aston Villa)
Jan Oblak (Slovenia, Atlético de Madrid)
David Raya (Spain, Arsenal)
Matz Sels (Belgium, Nottingham Forest)
Yann Sommer (Switzerland, Inter)
Women’s Yashin Trophy 2025 nominees
Ann-Katrin Berger (Germany, Gotham FC)
Cata Coll (Spain, Barcelona)
Hannah Hampton (England, Chelsea)
Chiamaka Nnadozie (Nigeria, Paris FC/Brighton)
Daphne van Domselaar (Netherlands, Arsenal)
Men’s Johan Cruyff Trophy 2025 nominees
Antonio Conte (Italy, Napoli)
Luis Enrique (Spain, Paris Saint-Germain)
Hansi Flick (Germany, Barcelona)
Enzo Maresca (Italy, Chelsea)
Arne Slot (Netherlands, Liverpool)
Women’s Johan Cruyff Trophy 2025 nominees
Sonia Bompastor (France, Chelsea)
Arthur Elias (Brazil, Brazil national team)
Justine Madugu (Nigeria, Nigeria national team)
Renée Slegers (Netherlands, Arsenal)
Sarina Wiegman (Netherlands, England national team)
Men’s Club of the Year Trophy 2025 nominees
Barcelona (Spain)
Botafogo (Brazil)
Chelsea (England)
Liverpool (England)
Paris Saint-Germain (France)
Women’s Club of the Year Trophy 2025 nominees
Arsenal (England)
Barcelona (Spain)
Chelsea (England)
OL Lyonnes (France)
Orlando Pride (United States)
