With few hours left until the Ballon d’Or 2025 winner is announced, Paris Saint-Germain forward Ousmane is the favorite to win the top prize over main rival, Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal, as the football world prepares for the prestigious ceremony in Paris.
In the English Premier League, Egyptian international Mohamed Salah is in contention, while England boss Sarina Wiegman and Lionesses are nominated across various women’s awards.
The Ballon d’Or is the most distinguished individual prize in football, presented in recognition of outstanding achievements and exceptional talent. It has been presented annually by France Football since 1956.
The award ceremony – is scheduled for a Monday start at 19:00 GMT (9pm South Sudan time), at the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris, France.
France’s 28-year-old Dembele has emerged as the top favourite from a list of nominees dominated by Champions League winners PSG.
Nine members of the PSG team that won the European crown for the first time in a 5-0 demolition of Inter Milan feature among the 30 nominees.
Yamal, still just 18, stands out among the other nominees, having emerged as a superstar on the wing at Barcelona, where he is seen as the successor to legendary Argentinian footballer Lionel Messi.
Other notable nominees include Viktor Gyokeres, Erling Haaland, Harry Kane, Cole Palmer, and the key duo from Liverpool’s 2024-25 Premier League triumph, Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk.
Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior are on the list too, a year after Real Madrid boycotted the ceremony, outraged that the latter had been overlooked for the prize.
Why are Dembele and Yamal favorites?
Dembele appears to have the edge after a magnificent season in which he filled the void left in Paris by the departed Kylian Mbappe, scoring 35 goals.
That contribution helped PSG to complete a domestic clean sweep and also reach the final of the FIFA Club World Cup.
It was a spectacular campaign for the French club and an even more extraordinary one for Dembele, the winger turned centre-forward.
Many of the PSG nominees will have to miss the ceremony after their Ligue 1 match against Marseille was postponed on Sunday by 24 hours due to storms in southern France. Though Dembele is injured, he could attend.
Meanwhile, Yamal won the Kopa Trophy for the best player aged below 21 at last year’s Ballon d’Or gala, fresh from having helped Spain to European Championship glory.
He scored 18 goals in 55 games in all competitions last season as Barcelona won La Liga and the Spanish Copa del Rey, but they lost in the Champions League semifinal to Inter.
Additional source: AFP
