Four European clubs and one Brazilian side are battling to win Club of the Year at the 2025 Ballon d’Or ceremony.
The best men’s and women’s players in football, led by Ousmane Dembélé and Aitana Bonmatí, headline the 2025 Ballon d’Or award nominees. The September ceremony will also honor the sport’s best managers, goalkeepers, young players and clubs.
Barcelona, Botafogo, Chelsea, Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain are the five nominees for the 2025 Club of the Year award. Each team lifted silverware last season, some more than once. Although they all deserve reignition for their title-winning 2024–25 campaigns, there are two clear standouts to take home the prize.
Here is Sports Illustrated’s ranking of the 2025 Club of the Year nominees.
5. Botafogo
Botafogo edged out German champions Bayern Munich and Italian champions Napoli to secure a nomination for Club of the Year. The Brazilian outfit are the only non-European side up for the award, a testament to their great 2024–25 season.
The club won the their first-ever Copa Libertadores title back in November, beating Atlético Mineiro 3–1 in the final. Even more impressive was that they did so with 10 men for 88 minutes. Botafogo were also crowned the champions of Brazil, marking their first league title since 1995.
The South American side then featured in the FIFA Club World Cup, shocking the world when they handed PSG their first loss of the tournament. Botafogo’s run was cut short by Palmeiras in the round of 16.
It is hard to measure the club’s accomplishments alongside those of their fellow nominees, though, who compete on the biggest and most competitive stages in Europe.
4. Chelsea
What an end to the 2024–25 campaign for Chelsea. Not only did the Blues secure their spot in the Champions League next season with a fourth-place Premier League finish, but they also won the Conference League and the Club World Cup.
Chelsea’s triumph in the United States was nothing short of spectacular. The English outfit dominated PSG, who had just won the Champions League six weeks prior, in the Club World Cup final, largely thanks to a masterclass from Cole Palmer. The victory came with $114.6 million in prize money.
It wasn’t always as pretty from Enzo Maresca’s men, though; after all, they won just four games from the end of December all the way through February. Yet they stayed the course and wound up adding two titles to their trophy cabinet.
Still, their silverware falls short of what the remaining three nominees achieved in 2024–25.
3. Liverpool
Unlike Chelsea, Liverpool did not get a chance to compete in this summer’s Club World Cup. Still, they too ended their 2024–25 season on a high by winning the Premier League.
Liverpool took no time at all to bounce back after bidding farewell to Jürgen Klopp. Under Arne Slot, the club claimed its 20th league title, equaling Manchester United’s all-time record. The Reds beat out runners-up Arsenal by 10 points.
Winning arguably the most competitive league in the world would normally make Liverpool one of the favorites to take home Club of the Year, but their shortcomings across all competitions hold them back. Slot’s men exited the Champions League in the round of 16, were eliminated from the FA Cup by Championship side Plymouth Argyle and lost the Carabao Cup final to Newcastle United.
Still, they undoubtedly deserve their flowers for reigning supreme in the English top-flight. Mohamed Salah, who was named the Premier League’s Player of the Season, starred all season long, making history with his 47 goal contributions in 38 league matches.
2. Barcelona
Barcelona secured a domestic treble in Hansi Flick’s first season in charge. The Catalans beat out bitter rivals Real Madrid to win La Liga, the Spanish Super Cup and the Copa del Rey.
The Spanish champions scored a staggering 102 goals in their La Liga-winning campaign, becoming the first team to reach triple digits in eight years. Barcelona fired five goals past Real Madrid in the Spanish Super Cup final and three more in the Copa del Rey final.
Record-breaking campaigns from Raphinha and Lamine Yamal stole all the headlines, but Barcelona were dominant across all areas of the pitch. Jules Koundé was the best right back in Spain, Pedri the best midfielder and Wojciech Szczęsny went on a 22-game unbeaten run in goal.
The only thing working against Barcelona is their Champions League failure. Flick’s men exited the competition in the semifinals after falling short to Inter Milan.
1. Paris Saint-Germain
Was there any doubt on which club would be at number one? PSG pulled off a historic quadruple in the 2024–25 season, winning Ligue 1, the Trophée des Champions, the Coupe de France and of course, the Champions League.
The Parisians dominated the French top-flight, finishing 19 points above runners-up Marseille. They also dismantled Inter Milan in the Champions League final, scoring five goals at the Allianz Arena, the most in the history of the competition’s title match.
Even though they failed to get past Chelsea in the FIFA Club World Cup final, PSG are the best team in the world. From Gianluigi Donnarumma between the posts, to Nuno Mendes and Marquinhos leading the club's backline, to Vitinha pulling the strings from midfield, to Ousmane Dembélé’s dominance up top, Luis Enrique’s men are a cohesive powerhouse in a class of their own.
It will be a major surprise if the defending French and European champions do not take home the award for Club of the Year.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Ballon d’Or 2025 Club of the Year Nominees—Ranked.