Daijiworld Media Network - Paris
Paris, Sep 22: The 69th Ballon d’Or ceremony will take place on Monday, 22 September 2025, at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris. The event honours the best male and female footballers of the 2024/25 season, along with coaches, clubs, goalkeepers, and individuals making a humanitarian impact.
The Ballon d’Or, first awarded in 1956 by France Football, is football’s most prestigious individual accolade. Recent winners like Manchester City’s Rodri reflect the emergence of new global stars. Since 2024, the award has been co-organised by UEFA and Groupe Amaury, with votes cast by international journalists.
This year features a record number of honours, including three new women’s awards: Women’s Yashin Trophy, Women’s Gerd Müller Trophy, and Women’s Kopa Trophy. Full categories include Men’s and Women’s Ballon d’Or, Kopa Trophy, Yashin Trophy, Gerd Müller Trophy, Johan Cruyff Trophy, Club of the Year, and the Sócrates Award for humanitarian impact.
The men’s race is expected to be a duel between Ousmane Dembélé of PSG and Barcelona’s 18-year-old Lamine Yamal. Dembélé scored 35 goals in a treble-winning season, while Yamal notched 18 goals and won La Liga and Copa del Rey. Other prominent contenders include Erling Haaland, Mohamed Salah, Harry Kane, Vinícius Júnior, Jude Bellingham, and PSG stars Hakimi, Donnarumma, and Vitinha. In the women’s category, Aitana Bonmatí aims for a third consecutive Ballon d’Or, with strong competition from Alexia Putellas, Lucy Bronze, Alessia Russo, Leah Williamson, and Marta.
For Club of the Year, nominees include Barcelona, Liverpool, PSG, Chelsea, Botafogo (men), and Arsenal, Barcelona, Chelsea, OL Lyonnes, and Orlando Pride (women). Antonio Conte and Luis Enrique head the men’s coaching nominations, while Sarina Wiegman and Sonia Bompastor lead the women’s category.
Winners are decided by an international jury of journalists, with points assigned to their top ten choices. Ties are broken by first-place votes.
The ceremony will be hosted by Ruud Gullit and Kate Scott, with Ronaldinho presenting the men’s Ballon d’Or. Indian fans can watch the event live on Sony Sports Network and stream it via the Sony LIV app and website.
Nominees for the men’s award include Ousmane Dembélé, Lamine Yamal, Jude Bellingham, Erling Haaland, Mohamed Salah, Harry Kane, Vinícius Júnior, Robert Lewandowski, Pedri, and Declan Rice. Women’s nominees include Aitana Bonmatí, Alexia Putellas, Lucy Bronze, Alessia Russo, Leah Williamson, Marta, Caroline Graham Hansen, Sandy Baltimore, Pernille Harder, and Johanna Rytting Kaneryd.
The ceremony celebrates football excellence across genders, age groups, and leagues, making it one of the most anticipated nights in world football.