Ballon d’Or Race Heats Up As Nominees Are Announced
The 2025 Ballon d’Or is racing towards its inevitable conclusion as the shortlist was recently announced, with the two leading contenders being Ousmane Dembele and Lamine Yamal.
On Monday, 11 August, a French sports outlet shared the 30-man list, which features some of football’s brightest stars.
Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), fresh from a historic quadruple title win, dominates the nominees with nine players, including Gianluigi Donnarumma, Achraf Hakimi, Vitinha and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.
However, the Parisians are strongly backing their star forward, Dembele. After a sensational 2024-25 season – 35 goals, 16 assists and trophies in every competition, including PSG’s first Champions League – the 28-year-old Frenchman is seen as the favourite to succeed 2024’s winner, Rodri.
Barcelona teen prodigy, Yamal, is likely to be celebrated either way. Several lucrative brand deals have his name attached, and fans across social media are calling for him to claim the Golden Ball, with brand endorsements further boosting his public support.
Other challengers include Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah, Bayern Munich’s Harry Kane, Barcelona’s Raphinha, and Arsenal’s Viktor Gyokeres, all boasting remarkable statistics. Yet the spotlight remains on the anticipated Dembele-Yamal showdown, and only one can be crowned the world’s best player.
The winner will be announced on 22 September at the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris, France.
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