Ousmane Dembélé and Chloe Kelly Among Ballon d’Or Nominees

Paris Saint-Germain forward Ousmane Dembélé and England’s Chloe Kelly are among the nominees for this year’s men’s and women’s Ballon d’Or awards.

France Football magazine unveiled the 30 male and 30 female contenders on Thursday, ahead of the awards ceremony set to take place in Paris on 22 September.

Dembélé, 28, enjoyed a standout season for PSG, playing a pivotal role in securing the club’s first-ever UEFA Champions League title and helping complete a historic treble. He scored a career-best 35 goals in all competitions, leading the French side to triumph after years of falling short in Europe.

Also on the men’s shortlist is teenage sensation Lamine Yamal, whose dazzling performances for Barcelona lit up the Champions League and were instrumental in securing the La Liga title.

Kelly Shines in England and Arsenal Success
Chloe Kelly, 27, played a vital role in England’s successful UEFA Women’s Euro 2025 campaign, converting the decisive penalty in the final against reigning world champions Spain. Her contributions throughout the knockout stages were equally influential.

At club level, Kelly was a key figure for Arsenal, operating on the right wing as the Gunners claimed the UEFA Women’s Champions League title with a surprise victory over Barcelona.

She is joined on the women’s list by England team-mates Lucy Bronze and Hannah Hampton, both of whom play for Chelsea. Barcelona midfielder Aitana Bonmatí, the two-time defending Ballon d’Or Féminin winner, also features prominently among the favourites.

Barcelona players have claimed the last four women’s Ballon d’Or titles. Bronze notably finished as runner-up in 2019 to United States forward Megan Rapinoe.

PSG Well Represented Among Men’s Nominees
Dembélé is one of nine PSG players nominated for the men’s prize. Among them are goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma; forward Désiré Doué, who scored twice in PSG’s 5–0 win over Inter Milan in the Champions League final; and influential winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, who joined from Napoli during the January transfer window.

Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah is nominated after scoring 29 goals to help the Reds clinch the Premier League title, while Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappé, who netted 44 times last season, is also among the frontrunners.

Defending Ballon d’Or winner Rodri, who starred for Manchester City and Spain in the 2023–24 campaign, missed much of last season due to a knee injury and is not expected to retain his crown.

Notably, Real Madrid opted not to attend last year’s ceremony, reportedly in protest at Vinícius Júnior finishing second. The club and its players later expressed dissatisfaction on social media.

How the Ballon d’Or is Decided
The Ballon d’Or, created by France Football magazine, has been awarded since 1956 for men and since 2018 for women. Voting is conducted by journalists — one per country — from the top 100 FIFA-ranked nations for the men’s award and the top 50 for the women’s.

Each journalist submits a ranked list of players, with points allocated according to placement. The player with the highest total points receives the award.

Other Award Contenders
PSG head coach Luis Enrique has been shortlisted for the best men’s coach award, while England manager Sarina Wiegman is a nominee for best women’s coach after guiding the Lionesses to European glory.

Donnarumma, whose goalkeeping heroics were pivotal during PSG’s Champions League run, is widely considered the favourite to win the Lev Yashin Trophy for best men’s goalkeeper. England’s Hannah Hampton is among the five candidates for the women’s equivalent.