The 2025 Ballon d'Or awards, co-organised by France Football magazine and UEFA, are set to crown football's most outstanding individual talents tonight in Paris. Considered the sport's most prestigious individual honours, the awards have evolved significantly since their inception in 1956. Initially, journalists selected the best European player, expanding in 1995 to include all players in Europe, and finally in 2007 to encompass players worldwide. For six years (2010-2015), the award was given in conjunction with FIFA before reverting to its independent format. The current iteration acknowledges achievements during a football season rather than a calendar year, with an international jury of journalists casting votes. The 2025 edition, marking the 69th ceremony, will recognise performances from August 1, 2024, to July 13, 2025, for men (aligning with the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup final) and August 1 to August 2, 2025, for women (following the 2025 Copa America Femenina final). Historically, Lionel Messi holds the record with eight Ballon d'Or titles, followed by Cristiano Ronaldo with five.

The highly anticipated ceremony will take place on Monday, September 22, at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris, France. It is scheduled to commence at 8 pm BST (3 PM ET, 12.30 am IST). Fans globally can follow the event, with streaming available on the official award website, ballondor.com/en/videos, in the UK. In the U.S., CBS will broadcast the ceremony, while Indian viewers can tune in live on SonyLIV.

Ahead of tonight's official announcement, the men's Ballon d'Or winner has allegedly been 'leaked,' sparking considerable buzz. French journalist Romain Collet Gaudin has claimed that Paris Saint-Germain's Ousmane Dembélé will secure the top men's prize for the first time in his career. This alleged victory follows a stellar 2024-25 campaign for the 28-year-old winger, where he reportedly scored 35 goals and provided 16 assists for PSG. His impressive season also saw him collect multiple major trophies, including the Champions League, Ligue 1, the Coupe de France, and the Trophée des Champions, most recently adding the UEFA Super Cup with the Parisiens. Dembélé's professional journey began with Rennes before a move to Borussia Dortmund in 2016, where he amassed 10 goals and 21 assists in 50 appearances. He then joined Barcelona for a significant £135.5 million but faced challenges and injuries before returning to France with PSG in 2023 for approximately £43.5 million. He has also made 57 appearances for the France national team, scoring seven goals and contributing to their 2018 World Cup victory.

Despite Gaudin's assertions, other names are still heavily discussed, and counter-claims have emerged. Spanish journalist Edu Aguirre, for instance, believes that Barcelona's young prodigy Lamine Yamal will be crowned, noting the absence of a Champions League or World Cup win for Barcelona as a surprising element. The Spanish outlet Marca has stated that, unlike last year's controversial awards where players were reportedly informed of the outcome (leading to Real Madrid boycotting the ceremony when Rodri won over Vinícius Jr), no players have been told the results this year. Other prominent contenders for the men's award include Liverpool's Mohamed Salah, PSG's Raphinha, and Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappé.

The comprehensive list of nominees for the men's Ballon d'Or 2025 features an array of top talents: Ousmane Dembélé (PSG), Gianluigi Donnarumma (PSG), Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid), Désiré Doué (PSG), Denzel Dumfries (Internazionale), Serhou Guirassy (Borussia Dortmund), Erling Haaland (Manchester City), Viktor Gyökeres (Arsenal), Achraf Hakimi (PSG), Harry Kane (Bayern Munich), Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (Napoli, PSG), Robert Lewandowski (Barcelona), Alexis Mac Allister (Liverpool), Lautaro Martínez (Internazionale), Scott McTominay (Napoli), Kylian Mbappé (Real Madrid), Nuno Mendes (PSG), João Neves (PSG), Pedri (Barcelona), Cole Palmer (Chelsea), Michael Olise (Bayern Munich), Raphinha (Barcelona), Declan Rice (Arsenal), Fabián Ruiz (PSG), Lamine Yamal (Barcelona), Florian Wirtz (Liverpool), Vitinha (PSG), Vinícius Júnior (Real Madrid), and Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool), Mohamed Salah (Liverpool).

The women's Ballon d'Or is also a significant highlight of the evening, with frontrunners including Aitana Bonmatí, Alexia Putellas, Mariona Caldentey, and Alessia Russo. The full list of nominees includes Lucy Bronze (Chelsea), Barbra Banda (Orlando Pride), Aitana Bonmatí (Barcelona), Sandy Baltimore (Chelsea), Mariona Caldentey (Arsenal), Klara Bühl (Bayern Munich), Sofia Cantore (Washington Spirit), Steph Catley (Arsenal), Melchie Daëlle Dumornay (OL Lyonnes), Temwa Chawinga (Kansas City Current), Emily Fox (Arsenal), Cristiana Girelli (Juventus), Esther González (Gotham FC), Caroline Graham Hansen (FC Barcelona), Patri Guijarro (FC Barcelona), Amanda Gutierres (Palmeiras), Hannah Hampton (Chelsea), Pernille Harder (Bayern Munich), Lindsey Heaps (OL Lyonnes), Chloe Kelly (Manchester City, Arsenal), Marta (Orlando Pride), Frida Leonhardsen Maanum (Arsenal), Ewa Pajor (FC Barcelona), Clara Mateo (Paris FC), Alessia Russo (Arsenal), Clàudia Pina (FC Barcelona), Alexia Putellas (FC Barcelona), Johanna Rytting Kaneryd (Chelsea), Caroline Weir (Real Madrid), and Leah Williamson (Arsenal).

Beyond the main Ballon d'Or awards, several other prestigious accolades will be presented. The Men's and Women's Kopa Trophies, named after Raymond Kopa, honour the best young players under 21. Nominees for the Men's Kopa Trophy include Pau Cubarsí (Barcelona), Ayyoub Bouaddi (Lille), Désiré Doué (PSG), Estêvão (Palmeiras, Chelsea), Dean Huijsen (Bournemouth, Real Madrid), Myles Lewis-Skelly (Arsenal), Rodrigo Mora (Porto), João Neves (PSG), Lamine Yamal (Barcelona), and Kenan Yildiz (Juventus). Women's Kopa Trophy nominees are Michelle Agyemang (Brighton & Hove Albion), Linda Caicedo (Real Madrid), Wieke Kaptein (Chelsea), Claudia Martínez (Club Olimpia), and Vicky López (Barcelona).

The Yashin Trophies, named after Soviet goalkeeper Lev Yashin, recognise the best goalkeepers. Men's Yashin Trophy nominees are Alisson Becker (Liverpool), Yassine Bounou (Al Hilal), Lucas Chevalier (Lille, PSG), Thibaut Courtois (Real Madrid), Gianluigi Donnarumma (PSG, Manchester City), Emiliano Martínez (Aston Villa), Jan Oblak (Atletico Madrid), David Raya (Arsenal), Matz Sels (Nottingham Forest), and Yann Sommer (Inter Milan). Women's Yashin Trophy nominees include Ann-Katrin Berger (Gotham FC), Cata Coll (Barcelona), Hannah Hampton (Chelsea), Chiamaka Nnadozie (Paris FC, Brighton), and Daphne van Domselaar (Arsenal).

Additional awards include the Gerd Muller Trophies for the top scorer from the previous season, and the Socrates Award, presented in collaboration with 'Peace and Sport,' for humanitarian work by a footballer. The Men's and Women's Club of the Year awards will also be given, with nominees for Men's Club being Barcelona, Botafogo, Chelsea, Liverpool, and Paris Saint-Germain, and for Women's Club being Arsenal, Barcelona, OL Lyonnes, and Orlando Pride. Finally, the Men's and Women's Coach of the Year awards will be announced, with nominees for Men's Coach being Antonio Conte, Luis Enrique, Hansi Flick, Enzo Maresca, and Arne Slot, and for Women's Coach being Sonia Bompastor, Arthur Elias, Justine Madugu, Renee Slegers, and Sarina Wiegman.