After a spell of dominance by Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, the 2025 Ballon d’Or will crown a first-time winner for the second consecutive year in nearly two decades.
The 30 players nominated for the 2025 Men’s Ballon d’Or award were officially announced ahead of this year’s ceremony, unfolding in Paris next month. The two favorites to take home the honor, Ousmane Dembélé and Lamine Yamal, headline the list of the sport’s best players.
Missing from the nominees, though, are any previous winners. No player that currently has a Ballon d’Or in his trophy cabinet made the shortlist, confirming there will be a new name called out at the Théâtre du Châtelet on Sept. 22.
Last year’s winner Rodri missed out on almost the entirety of the 2024–25 season, costing him a chance at potentially claiming the award again. Messi and Ronaldo also did not earn nominations, nor did Luka Modrić or Karim Benzema.
The five superstars, who are the only active players that have previously won the Ballon d’Or, will welcome a new member to their exclusive club.
Even more noteworthy is it will mark the first time new back-to-back winners will be crowned since Fabio Cannavaro and Kaká each took home the prize in 2006 and 2007 respectively. Then, Messi and Ronaldo took turns winning the Ballon d’Or, with the Argentine receiving the honor after Modrić and Benzema.
Dembélé is the frontrunner to break the longstanding trend. The 28-year-old emerged as the favorite for the 2025 Ballon d’Or after leading Paris Saint-Germain to a historic quadruple that included the club’s first-ever Champions League title. The Frenchman recorded 49 goal contributions in 53 appearances, excelling on France and Europe’s biggest stages.
Yamal is not far behind, though. The teenage sensation helped Barcelona claim a domestic treble, dazzling on the right wing with a skill widely described as Messi-esque. The Spaniard ended the season with 39 goal contributions in 55 appearances.
Mohamed Salah, Raphinha and Kylian Mbappé also earned nominations for their 2024–25 campaigns. PSG players dominate the list, though, with Gianluigi Donnarumma, Désiré Doué, Achraf Hakimi, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, João Neves, Nuno Mendes, Fabián Ruiz and Vitinha making the cut.
All eyes will be on the 2025 Ballon d’Or ceremony to see which superstar takes home the most prestigious individual honor in football.
READ THE LATEST ON THE BALLON D'OR 2025—NEWS, NOMINEES AND RANKINGS
This article was originally published on www.si.com as 2025 Ballon d’Or Winner Will Break 18-Year Trend Set by Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo.