Ballon d’Or (Image credit: FIFA)

The football world’s spotlight turns to Paris on Monday, 22 September 2025, as the 69th Ballon d’Or ceremony takes centre stage at the Théâtre du Châtelet. The night promises not only the crowning of the best male and female footballers of the 2024/25 season but also recognition across a wide array of categories celebrating talent, leadership, goalscoring brilliance, and humanitarian impact.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!What is the Ballon d’Or?First awarded in 1956 by France Football, the Ballon d’Or is the sport’s most prestigious individual prize. While Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo dominated the award for over a decade, recent years have opened the door for new icons, with Manchester City’s Rodri lifting the trophy in 2024.Since 2024, the award has been co-organised by UEFA and Groupe Amaury, with the voting process still conducted by journalists worldwide.What awards will be presented in 2025?This year features a record number of honours, including three new women’s categories – the Women’s Yashin Trophy, Women’s Gerd Müller Trophy, and Women’s Kopa Trophy.The full list of categories is:

Who are the leading contenders?The men’s race is billed as a duel between Ousmane Dembélé and Lamine Yamal. Dembélé, reinvented as a lethal forward at PSG, scored 35 goals in a treble-winning season and is widely tipped as favourite. “It’s nice after a wonderful season with PSG… the Ballon d’Or is the individual Holy Grail,” he told Le Monde.On the other side is 18-year-old Lamine Yamal, Barcelona’s prodigy, who notched 18 goals and lifted both La Liga and Copa del Rey. “I don’t dream of winning one Ballon d’Or, I dream of winning lots,” Yamal declared recently.Other big names in contention include Erling Haaland, Mohamed Salah, Harry Kane, Vinícius Júnior, Jude Bellingham and PSG’s star-studded squad featuring Hakimi, Donnarumma, and Vitinha.In the women’s category, Aitana Bonmatí (Barcelona/Spain) will try to secure her third straight Ballon d’Or, though competition is fierce. Teammate Alexia Putellas and England stars Lucy Bronze, Alessia Russo, and Leah Williamson could challenge strongly.Clubs and coaches in contentionFor the Club of the Year, Barcelona, Liverpool, PSG, Chelsea, Botafogo (men) and Arsenal, Barcelona, Chelsea, OL Lyonnes, Orlando Pride (women) are nominated.For the coaching awards, Antonio Conte (Napoli) and Luis Enrique (PSG) headline the men’s Johan Cruyff Trophy list, while Sarina Wiegman (England) and Sonia Bompastor (Chelsea) lead the women’s nominees.How is the Ballon d’Or decided?An international jury of journalists casts votes:

Each juror selects 10 players, with descending points (15–1). In case of a tie, first-place votes decide the winner.Ceremony details: Time & Streaming

How to watch the Ballon d’Or 2025 in India

Indian fans can catch all the action live on:

Coverage is expected to include red carpet arrivals, interviews, award presentations, and exclusive backstage moments.Men’s Ballon d’Or 2025 nomineesJude Bellingham (England, Real Madrid)Ousmane Dembélé (France, Paris Saint-Germain)Gianluigi Donnarumma (Italy, Paris Saint-Germain/Manchester City)Désiré Doué (France, Paris Saint-Germain)Denzel Dumfries (Netherlands, Inter)Serhou Guirassy (Guinea, Borussia Dortmund)Viktor Gyökeres (Sweden, Sporting CP/Arsenal)Erling Haaland (Norway, Manchester City)Achraf Hakimi (Morocco, Paris Saint-Germain)Harry Kane (England, Bayern)Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (Georgia, Napoli/Paris Saint-Germain)Robert Lewandowski (Poland, Barcelona)Alexis Mac Allister (Argentina, Liverpool)Lautaro Martínez (Argentina, Inter)Kylian Mbappé (France, Real Madrid)Scott McTominay (Scotland, Napoli)Nuno Mendes (Portugal, Paris Saint-Germain)João Neves (Portugal, Paris Saint-Germain)Michael Olise (France, Bayern)Cole Palmer (England, Chelsea)Pedri (Spain, Barcelona)Raphinha (Brazil, Barcelona)Declan Rice (England, Arsenal)Fabián Ruiz (Spain, Paris Saint-Germain)Mohamed Salah (Egypt, Liverpool)Virgil van Dijk (Netherlands, Liverpool)Vinícius Júnior (Brazil, Real Madrid)Vitinha (Portugal, Paris Saint-Germain)Florian Wirtz (Germany, Leverkusen/Liverpool)Lamine Yamal (Spain, Barcelona)Women’s Ballon d’Or 2025 nomineesSandy Baltimore (France, Chelsea)Barbra Banda (Zambia, Orlando Pride)Aitana Bonmatí (Spain, Barcelona)Lucy Bronze (England, Chelsea)Klara Bühl (Germany, Bayern)Mariona Caldentey (Spain, Arsenal)Sofia Cantore (Italy, Juventus/Washington Spirit)Steph Catley (Australia, Arsenal)Temwa Chawinga (Malawi, Kansas City)Melchie Dumornay (Haiti, OL Lyonnes)Emily Fox (United States, Arsenal)Cristiana Girelli (Italy, Juventus)Esther González (Spain, Gotham FC)Caroline Graham Hansen (Norway, Barcelona)Patri Guijarro (Spain, Barcelona)Amanda Gutierres (Brazil, Palmeiras)Hannah Hampton (England, Chelsea)Pernille Harder (Denmark, Bayern)Lindsey Heaps (United States, OL Lyonnes)Chloe Kelly (England, Manchester City/Arsenal)Frida Leonhardsen Maanum (Norway, Arsenal)Marta (Brazil, Orlando Pride)Clara Mateo (France, Paris FC)Ewa Pajor (Poland, Barcelona)Clàudia Pina (Spain, Barcelona)Alexia Putellas (Spain, Barcelona)Alessia Russo (England, Arsenal)Johanna Rytting Kaneryd (Sweden, Chelsea)Caroline Weir (Scotland, Real Madrid)Leah Williamson (England, Arsenal)