Ballon d’Or unveils men’s nominees 2025 award

The Ballon d’Or, on Thursday, officially unveiled the 30-player shortlist for the 2025 Men’s Ballon d’Or, spotlighting the world’s finest footballers who have delivered exceptional performances over the past year

Among the top contenders are Jude Bellingham, Kylian Mbappé, Erling Haaland, Vinicius Jr., and Harry Kane, all of whom had standout seasons for club and country.

The list also features experienced names such as Mohamed Salah, Robert Lewandowski, and Virgil van Dijk, alongside emerging stars like Lamine Yamal, Joao Neves, and Cole Palmer.

Other notable nominees include Alexis Mac Allister, Désiré Doué, Scott McTominay, Raphinha, Florian Wirtz, Declan Rice, Achraf Hakimi, and Pedri.

The Ballon d’Or remains the most prestigious individual award in world football, recognising extraordinary talent, consistency, and influence on the global game. The winner will be crowned at the annual Ballon d’Or ceremony later this year.

Full list

• 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 Martinez
• Kylian Mbappé
• Scott McTominay
• Nuno Mendes
• Joao Neves
• Michael Olise
• Cole Palmer
• Pedri
• Raphinha
• Declan Rice
• Fabian Ruiz
• Mohamed Salah
• Virgil van Dijk
• Vinicius Jr.
• Vitinha
• Florian Wirtz
• Lamine Yamal