Ballon d'Or 2025: France Football officially reveal nominee announcement date

France Football have made public the date for the announcement of the nominees for the 2025 Ballon d'Or award. This year's award is expected to be one of the most keenly contested, with several players having proved themselves as legitimate contenders over the course of the 2024-25 season.

In an announcement via their official X account, France Football have announced that the list of nominees will be revealed on August 7th. This list is expected to include 30 players before it gets whittled down to select the winner on September 22nd, just over a month from when the nominees are revealed.

Expand Tweet

Last year, Manchester City star Rodri beat Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jr to the award, sparking controversy in the football world. The Spaniard is unlikely to be among the nominees this year as he missed nearly the entirety of the season with an ACL injury, making just four appearances for the Cityzens.

This year's Ballon d'Or is expected to be between Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) players after both teams proved themselves as some of Europe's best. The French giants won the treble, including a first-ever UEFA Champions League title, while Barcelona won the league, cup, and Super Cup treble in Spain.

Amongst the names expected to feature on the shortlist on August 7th are Ousmane Dembele, Lamine Yamal, Raphinha, and several others. The likes of Mohamed Salah, Kylian Mbappe, Robert Lewandowski and a host of others are also expected to be nominated after fine individual seasons for their respective clubs.

Real Madrid star casts doubts on Ballon d'Or chances in press conference

New Real Madrid star Trent Alexander-Arnold has cast doubts on his chances of winning the Ballon d'Or in his time at the club. The Englishman completed his switch to the Spanish giants, leaving boyhood club Liverpool after spending 20 years there.

Alexander-Arnold spoke at his unveiling as a Real Madrid player, pointing out that winning the Ballon d'Or will be hard for him, with the quality of players on the team. He expressed his delight at the fact that they have become his teammates and he would not have to face them any longer.

"It will be very hard to win the Ballon d’Or with the players on this team (laughs). I’m just happy I will play with them and not against them."

Trent Alexander-Arnold joins Los Blancos as a free agent and will take the number 12 shirt previously worn by Marcelo. Regarded as one of the world's best full-backs, the England international will debut for the club at the FIFA Club World Cup this month.

About the author

Sulayman is a European and international football writer at Sportskeeda covering news and transfer rumors. He has an overall experience of 4 years, having previously worked at the likes of SportsRation and ExtraTimeTalk. His tryst with the sport happened at a young age, playing it at home and watching the 2002 FIFA World Cup.

Sulayman has a good feel for the game, which is reflected in his descriptive articles. He double checks information via multiple sources for accuracy, and only uses top-tier platforms like Transfermarkt and Opta for statistical information. His experience and exploits in the industry have led Sulayman to cover the Nigerian Professional League for three years along with games involving the Nigerian national team. He has also worked in F1, joining hands with industry veterans to provide a smooth viewing experience in Nigeria.

Sulayman hails Lionel Messi as the one true GOAT, and his brace in Argentina’s 2005 U20 FIFA World Cup final win over Nigeria left a lasting impact on him. He also supports Chelsea at club level, having followed their dominance under Jose Mourinho. Sulayman also follows other leagues with Nigerian players like Eredivisie, Saudi Pro League, Turkish Super Lig, and more. When not writing, he enjoys cooking and eating.

Know More

Edited by Sulayman Salahudeen