The Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris is set to host the 69th Ballon d’Or ceremony on Monday, September 22, 2025, with global attention fixed on football’s biggest awards night – www.naijnaira.com reports.
France Football, the organizing body, first launched the Golden Ball in 1956, and its yearly return always fuels debates over the world’s best players.
This edition expands the award list, adding three new honors in the women’s category: the Women’s Yashin Trophy, Women’s Gerd Müller Trophy, and Women’s Kopa Trophy.
Fans will see trophies handed out for Men’s and Women’s Ballon d’Or, Kopa Trophy for U-21 players, Yashin Trophy for goalkeepers, Gerd Müller Trophy for top scorers, Johan Cruyff Trophy for best coaches, Club of the Year for both genders, and the Sócrates Award for humanitarian work.
Paris Saint-Germain forward Ousmane Dembélé enters as the favorite for the Men’s Ballon d’Or after scoring 35 goals in a treble-winning campaign.
Barcelona wonderkid Lamine Yamal is another hot contender, saying, “I don’t dream of one Ballon d’Or, I dream of many,” after his breakout season.
Other names in contention include Erling Haaland, Mohamed Salah, Harry Kane, Vinícius Júnior, Jude Bellingham, and PSG teammates Achraf Hakimi, Gianluigi Donnarumma, and Vitinha.
For the Women’s Ballon d’Or, Barcelona’s Aitana Bonmatí targets her third consecutive crown after dominating another season.
Her main rivals are fellow Spanish star Alexia Putellas, plus England internationals Lucy Bronze, Alessia Russo, and Leah Williamson.
Clubs fighting for the men’s team award include Barcelona, Liverpool, PSG, Chelsea, and Brazil’s Botafogo.
In the women’s section, Arsenal, Barcelona, Chelsea, Lyon, and Orlando Pride are on the shortlist.
Antonio Conte of Napoli and Luis Enrique of PSG battle for the Johan Cruyff Trophy in men’s coaching, while Sarina Wiegman and Sonia Bompastor lead the women’s category.
Journalists from FIFA’s top 100 nations cast votes for the men’s Ballon d’Or, while journalists from the top 50 nations decide the women’s award.
Each voter selects 10 players, ranking them from 15 to 1 point, with first-place votes used to settle ties.
The ceremony begins at 7 PM Nigerian time, hosted by Ruud Gullit and Kate Scott.
A special highlight of the evening will be Ronaldinho stepping up to present the Men’s Ballon d’Or trophy.
Article updated 3 weeks ago. Content is written and modified by multiple authors.
