Ballon d’Or 2025 LIVE Updates: PSG’s Dembele, Barcelona’s Yamal among favourites for top award

Ballon d’Or 2025 LIVE: The spotlight will be on the likes of Paris Saint-Germain’s Ousmane Dembele and Gianluigi Donnarumma and Barcelona’s Lamine Yamil as far as the 2025 Ballon d’Or is concerned. Dembele and Donnarumma had played a key role in helping PSG win their maiden UEFA Champions League title and finish runners-up at the FIFA Club World Cup. Yamal, meanwhile, has become the face of Barcelona and is seen by some as a successor to the legendary Lionel Messi. He had helped Hansi Flick’s side win the league last year and also played a key role in their run to the Champions League semi-finals. Follow our live blog for more updates. 

Ballon d’Or 2025 LIVE Updates

Ballon d’Or 2025 LIVE Updates: Follow our live blog for the latest updates on the 69th annual ceremony of the Ballon d’Or in Paris

Ballon d’Or 2025 LIVE: The wait for the 69th annual ceremony of the Ballon d’Or (Golden Ball) has finally come to an end with the event set to get underway in Paris on Monday evening. The spotlight this year will be on French forward Ousmane Dembele and Italian goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, who played key roles in helping Paris Saint-Germain their maiden UEFA Champions League title this year and also helped them reach the final of the 32-team FIFA Club World Cup.

Also in the fray for the men’s award, which had been won by Manchester City’s Spanish midfielder Rodri last year, are Barcelona sensation Lamine Yamal and Liverpool star Mohamed Salah – the top-scorer in the 2024-25 Premier League season.

As for the women’s award – Ballon d’Or Féminin – English defender Lucy Bronze is among the favourites alongside Spain and Barcelona midfielder Aitana Bonmati – who is aiming to complete a hat-trick of the prestigious award this year after winning it in the last two years. Bronze had starred in England’s triumphant Euro campaign, with the Lionesses beating Spain in the final to win the continental competition for the second consecutive time.

The awards ceremony has been an annual tradition since 1956 and is currently co-organised by the France Football magazine as well as UEFA. Argentina and Barcelona legend Lionel Messi remains the player with most Ballon d’Ors – having won the award eight times. Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo is second on the list with five wins, but leads the pack when it comes to most nominations (18).