The contenders for the 2025 Ballon d’Or awards will be revealed on Monday in Paris, where the men’s and women’s winners are set to be announced at the Théâtre du Châtelet.
Among the men, the contenders for Ballon d’Or awards include Kylian Mbappé, Mohamed Salah and Harry Kane, alongside Ousmane Dembélé and Raphinha, who each made significant contributions for club and country in the 2024/25 season.
On the women’s side, Aitana Bonmatí leads the contenders for Ballon d’Or awards as she seeks a third straight crown, while Alexia Putellas, Alessia Russo and others are also strongly positioned after impactful campaigns in league and international competitions.
The list of contenders for Ballon d’Or awards is assessed by journalists, coaches and national team captains, with performances across domestic leagues, the Champions League and international tournaments forming the basis of voting.
The ceremony will close months of debate, officially recognising the players whose form and consistency placed them among football’s top honours.
Top contenders for men’s Ballon d’Or awards
Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)
Games played: 52 Minutes played: 4,497 Goals: 34 Assists: 23 Goal contributions: 57 Minutes per goal: 132.3 Minutes per goal contribution: 78.9
Mohamed Salah won the Premier League player of the season award again, having also done so in 2017-18
Mohamed Salah played a huge role in helping Liverpool become English champions for the 20th time.
His 29 goals and 18 assists gave him a total of 47 Premier League goal involvements, tying the record for the most in a 38-game season.
His goals tally also secured him the Golden Boot – the fourth time he has won it, a record shared with Arsenal legend Thierry Henry. The 33-year-old was also named the Premier League’s player of the year for a second time.
The Egyptian forward scored three times in the Champions League before Liverpool lost to eventual winners Paris St-Germain in the last 16.
Ousmane Dembele (Paris St-Germain)
Games played: 53 Minutes played: 3,483 Goals: 35 Assists: 14 Goal contributions: 49 Minutes per goal: 99.5 Minutes per goal contribution: 71.1
Ousmane Dembele has thrived in two seasons at Paris St-Germain after six years at Barcelona
Ousmane Dembele played a key role in helping Paris St-Germain win Ligue 1, become European champions for the first time and reach the final of the Club World Cup.
He scored 21 goals from 29 games in Ligue 1 to end the campaign as joint-top scorer. He was also named in the division’s team of the season and won the player of the year award.
The 28-year-old was also the Champions League’s player of the season after eight goals and six assists in the tournament, including two assists in the 5-0 final win against Inter Milan.
Dembele then scored in the Club World Cup quarter-final and semi-final victories over Bayern Munich and Real Madrid, respectively.
Kylian Mbappe (Real Madrid)
Games played: 59 Minutes played: 4,742 Goals: 44 Assists: 5 Goal contributions: 49 Minutes per goal: 107.7 Minutes per goal contribution: 96.8
Kylian Mbappe joined Real Madrid from Paris St-Germain on a free transfer when his contract with the Ligue 1 side expired.
The French forward ended his first season in Spain as the top goalscorer in La Liga, his tally of 31 goals being four better than Barcelona’s Robert Lewandowski.
Mbappe’s total came from 34 matches and included hat-tricks against Valladolid and Barcelona. He also scored a treble to eliminate Manchester City in the Champions League knockout play-off round.
The 26-year-old became only the third player to score 50 goals for France, a figure he reached in June when he helped his country finish third in the Nations League.
Raphinha (Barcelona)
Games played: 57 Minutes played: 4,661 Goals: 34 Assists: 22 Goal contributions: 56 Minutes per goal: 137.1 Minutes per goal contribution: 83.2
Raphinha joined Barcelona from Leeds United in a deal worth up to £55m in July 2022
Raphinha helped Barcelona win three trophies in 2024-25 – La Liga, the Copa del Rey and the Supercopa de España.
His 18 goals and nine assists earned him La Liga’s player of the season award.
The 28-year-old Brazil forward, who moved to Barcelona from Leeds United in 2022, also ended as the joint-top scorer in the Champions League, finding the net 13 times in 14 games, including a hat-trick in a 4-1 win over Bayern Munich.
Lamine Yamal (Barcelona)
Lamine Yamal has already played 20 times for Spain at the age of 18
Games played: 55 Minutes played: 4,548 Goals: 18 Assists: 21 Goal contributions: 39 Minutes per goal: 252.7 Minutes per goal contribution: 116.6
The 18-year-old winger helped Barcelona to the Spanish treble of La Liga, the Copa del Rey and the Supercopa de España.
He won La Liga’s player of the month award in September and was in the La Liga and Champions League teams of the season.
He scored twice for Spain in their 5-4 win over France in the Nations League semi-final, although the side lost on penalties in the final to Portugal.
Top contenders for women’s Ballon d’Or awards
Aitana Bonmati (Barcelona)
Games played: 26 Minutes played: 1,913 Goals: 12 Assists: 6 Goal contributions: 18 Minutes per goal: 159 Minutes per goal contribution: 106
One of two Barcelona and Spain players who could lift the Ballon d’Or for the third time, but the only one who could do it in three successive years.
Aitana Bonmati is undeniably one of the world’s best players, and it would not be a surprise if she won again, although missing out on two major accolades might not help her cause.
There were doubts about her ability to play in the Euros when she was hospitalised with meningitis just days before it began, but she played a typically important role for Spain, including scoring the winner in their semi-final.
She was not, however, the brightest light in the knockout stage as others stole the show and England won the final.
Lucy Bronze (Chelsea)
Games played: 19 Minutes played: 1,491 Goals: 2 Assists: 3 Goal contributions: 5 Minutes per goal: 746 Minutes per goal contribution: 298
Lucy Bronze was Ballon d’Or runner-up in 2019
Lucy Bronze played through the pain of a fractured tibia as she won Euro 2025, on the back of clinching the Women’s Super League, FA Cup and League Cup.
The full-back secured her fourth WSL title as part of a domestic treble in her first season with Chelsea.
The 33-year-old played the fourth-highest number of minutes for the Lionesses in the Euros despite her injury, and scored an emphatic penalty in the quarter-final against Sweden.
A defender lifting the trophy is never as likely as a forward, but Bronze has had a spectacular year.
Alessia Russo (Arsenal)
Games played: 21 Minutes played: 1,686 Goals: 12 Assists: 2 Goal contributions: 14 Minutes per goal: 141 Minutes per goal contribution: 120
Alessia Russo was the 2024-25 Football Writers’ Association women’s player of the year
Champions League winner and Euro 2025 winner… it has been quite a year for the Arsenal striker.
She scored in the final of the Euros and found her groove for her club, playing a crucial role throughout the season in front of goal and with her work off the ball.
The 26-year-old was named the Football Writers’ Association’s women’s footballer of the year for last season for good reason.
She was the Women’s Super League’s joint-top scorer, sharing the Golden Boot with Khadija Shaw.
Alexia Putellas (Barcelona)
Games played: 24 Minutes played: 1,620 Goals: 16 Assists: 11 Goal contributions: 27 Minutes per goal: 101 Minutes per goal contribution: 60
Alexia Putellas has won the Ballon d’Or twice before
Alexia Putellas is in the running for a third Ballon d’Or, and it’s clear why she is a strong contender even in a year that has not gone entirely to plan.
Barcelona missed out on the Champions League, and England beat Spain in the Euro 2025 final, but Putellas has still performed at a very high standard.
She provided 16 goals and 11 assists as Barcelona once again won Spain’s top flight and secured a domestic treble.
Having already won it back-to-back in 2021 and 2022, she is a strong contender to do it again.
Claudia Pina (Barcelona)
Games played: 27 Minutes played: 1,557 Goals: 10 Assists: 7 Goal contributions: 17 Minutes per goal: 156 Minutes per goal contribution: 92.
Claudia Pina won a domestic treble with Barcelona in 2024-25.
She did not win the Champions League, but she was the competition’s top scorer. She netted 24 in total for her club and six for Spain.
The 24-year-old is a versatile player who is comfortable both as a midfielder and a forward.
She regularly makes a difference for club and country and was missed by Spain in the Euros final. Pina is among the favourites for the award.
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