Ousmane Dembélé and Lamine Yamal Among Favourites as 2025 Men’s Ballon d’Or Nominees Revealed

The race for the 2025 Men’s Ballon d’Or is officially on, with Paris Saint-Germain’s Ousmane Dembélé and Barcelona’s teenage prodigy Lamine Yamal emerging as frontrunners.

Dembélé was instrumental in PSG’s historic first-ever UEFA Champions League triumph last season, delivering decisive performances on the biggest stage. Yamal, just 18 years old, has dazzled for both Barcelona and Spain, drawing inevitable comparisons to Lionel Messi for his creativity and composure.

Notably, last year’s winner Rodri is absent from the shortlist after a serious knee injury sidelined him for most of Manchester City’s campaign, returning only in the penultimate league game.

PSG’s dominance is reflected in the nominations, with eight of Dembélé’s teammates also making the list, including Désiré Doué, Achraf Hakimi, and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. Despite this, the Premier League boasts the highest number of nominees, with stars like Cole Palmer, Mohamed Salah, and Declan Rice in contention. This summer’s big transfers are also represented, as Viktor Gyökeres (now at Arsenal) and Florian Wirtz (Liverpool) join the lineup.

LaLiga remains strong with eight nominees, featuring Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham and Vinícius Júnior. Former Manchester United midfielder Scott McTominay also earned a surprise spot after inspiring Napoli to a Serie A title.

Full List of 2025 Men’s Ballon d’Or Nominees:
Jude Bellingham, Ousmane Dembélé, Gianluigi Donnarumma, Désiré Doué, Denzel Dumfries, Serhou Guirassy, Viktor Gyökeres, Erling Haaland, Achraf Hakimi, Harry Kane, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Robert Lewandowski, Alexis Mac Allister, Lautaro Martínez, Kylian Mbappé, Scott McTominay, Nuno Mendes, João Neves, Michael Olise, Cole Palmer, Pedri, Raphinha, Declan Rice, Fabián Ruiz, Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk, Vinícius Júnior, Vitinha, Florian Wirtz, Lamine Yamal.

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