Golden Glory Beckons: Ballon d'Or 2025 Nominee Frenzy Ignites Global Football Stage

Published: 07th August 2025 | The English Chronicle Online

The anticipation around football’s most coveted individual prize has reached fever pitch as the nominees for the 2025 Ballon d’Or are revealed today, igniting widespread debate, national pride, and passionate argument across every corner of the global game. With world-class talent spanning continents and leagues, this year’s race for the top honours appears more competitive—and unpredictable—than ever before.

Among the frontrunners for the men’s award are some familiar and electrifying names, each of whom has left a profound mark on the 2024–25 season. Paris Saint-Germain’s Ousmane Dembele and his compatriot Desire Doue have lit up Ligue 1 and the Champions League with their creative brilliance, forming one of the most lethal attacking duos in Europe. Their dazzling form has kept PSG firmly in the continental spotlight, and for many, Dembele’s resurgence makes him a strong candidate to succeed last year’s winner, Manchester City’s Rodri.

But Dembele and Doue will face stiff competition. Mohamed Salah, now 33, staged a sensational campaign with Liverpool, spearheading the club’s successful Premier League title run with vintage form and unmatched consistency. Meanwhile, Barcelona’s teenage prodigy Lamine Yamal continued to defy his age, dazzling La Liga audiences and keeping the Catalan giants in the thick of every competition.

Elsewhere in Italy, Scotland’s Scott McTominay has scripted a remarkable chapter in Napoli’s history, playing a pivotal role in securing their Scudetto. His performances have not only endeared him to Neapolitan fans but have placed him firmly in Ballon d’Or contention—an outcome few would have predicted just a year ago. And then there’s Kylian Mbappe. Though his early days at Real Madrid were marked by adaptation struggles, he ultimately flourished, becoming Los Blancos’ talisman and delivering crucial goals in both La Liga and Europe.

On the women’s side, Spanish maestro Aitana Bonmati is once again the frontrunner, seeking an unprecedented third consecutive Ballon d’Or Féminin. Her individual brilliance for Barcelona and Spain has remained unquestioned, even as her teams fell just short in the Women’s Champions League final against Arsenal and the Euro 2025 final against England. Bonmati’s closest challengers this year may include England’s Alessia Russo, who lifted both the Champions League and Euros, and Spain’s Mariona Caldentey, whose tireless contributions have not gone unnoticed.