The 2025 Ballon d'Or ceremony is set to take place tonight, September 22, 2025, at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris, France. The event, organized by France Football magazine, will recognize the best footballers in the world for the 2024–25 season.

Top Contenders

This year's race for the coveted individual honor seems to be primarily between Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) winger Ousmane Dembélé and Barcelona's young sensation, Lamine Yamal.

• Ousmane Dembélé: The 28-year-old Frenchman is considered a favorite after a stellar season with PSG. He played a crucial role in PSG's historic quadruple, including their first Champions League title. Dembélé filled the void left by Kylian Mbappé, scoring 35 goals and providing 16 assists in 53 appearances. His performance in big matches, especially in the Champions League, has further solidified his case. Mbappé has publicly supported Dembélé for the award.
• Lamine Yamal: The 18-year-old Spaniard has emerged as a global sensation with dazzling performances for Barcelona and Spain. Yamal enjoyed a breakout season, scoring 18 goals and assisting 25 in all competitions. He was also named La Liga Young Player of the Season. Some see him as the successor to Lionel Messi.

Other Nominees

While Dembélé and Yamal are the frontrunners, other players are also in contention.

• From PSG: Several other PSG players are nominated, including Gianluigi Donnarumma, Désiré Doué, Achraf Hakimi, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Nuno Mendes, João Neves, Vitinha, and Fabian Ruiz.
• Premier League Stars: Mohamed Salah of Liverpool had another prolific season and is considered a contender. Other Premier League nominees include Alisson Becker, Alexis Mac Allister, Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool), Cole Palmer (Chelsea), Declan Rice (Arsenal).
• Other Notable Nominees: Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid), Erling Haaland (Manchester City), Harry Kane (Bayern Munich), Robert Lewandowski (FC Barcelona), Lautaro Martínez (Inter Milan), Kylian Mbappé (Real Madrid), Scott McTominay (Napoli), Serhou Guirassy (Borussia Dortmund), Viktor Gyökeres (Arsenal),.

Ceremony Details

The Ballon d'Or ceremony will not only present the men's and women's Ballon d'Or awards but also recognize achievements in other categories. Additional honors include:

• Kopa Trophy (Best young player)
• Yashin Trophy (Best goalkeeper)
• Gerd Müller Trophy (Top scorer)
• Johan Cruyff Trophy (Best coach)
• Men's and Women's Club of the Year
• Socrates Award (Social and humanitarian contributions)

Real Madrid Boycott

Real Madrid is expected to continue their boycott of the ceremony for the second year in a row. They withdrew last year in protest of Vinicius Junior missing out on the award.

The football world is eagerly awaiting the announcement of the winners at tonight's ceremony. The event promises to be a celebration of individual and team achievements in the sport.