France Football, organizers of the Ballon d’Or, has formally announced the 30-man shortlist for the 2025 Ballon d’Or award on Thursday, adding to the excitement around football’s most coveted individual honor.
This year’s list has a mix of well-known figures and up-and-coming artists who have made waves worldwide and domestically in the last 12 months.
Prominent candidates for the prized award include Harry Kane of Bayern Munich, Jude Bellingham and Kylian Mbappé of Real Madrid, Erling Haaland of Manchester City, Vinicius Jr. of Barcelona, and others who had exceptional seasons for their clubs and nations.
A generational change in international football is evident in the inclusion of rising players like Chelsea’s Cole Palmer, Benfica’s Joao Neves, and Barcelona’s adolescent wonder Lamine Yamal on the shortlist.
Prominent veterans like Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool), Robert Lewandowski (Barcelona), and Mohamed Salah (Liverpool) have also received recognition for their leadership and constant skill on the field.
Other players on the shortlist include Florian Wirtz (Bayer Leverkusen), Declan Rice (Arsenal), Lautaro Martinez (Inter Milan), Désiré Doué (Rennes), Ousmane Dembele (Paris Saint-Germain), Achraf Hakimi (Paris Saint-Germain), and Alexis Mac Allister (Liverpool).
It is generally anticipated that Mbappé, Dembele, and adolescent superstar Yamal will compete fiercely for this year’s trophy because they have all had outstanding seasons and are still increasing their impact on the game.
The winner will be formally crowned during the 2025 Ballon d’Or event, which is set for September 22 at Paris’s famous Théâtre du Châtelet.
Here’s the Full List of 2025 Ballon d’Or Men’s Nominees: https://x.com/ballondor/status/1953448057237872779?t=TU8bNlOzra66LqX3qqJI_g&s=19
