…as Chelsea’s MVP Cole Palmer Makes Ballon d’Or Shortlist After Stellar Year.
PARIS, FRANCE – The iNews Times | The race for the most prestigious individual award in world football has officially begun, as France Football on Thursday unveiled the 30-man shortlist for the 2025 Ballon d’Or.
Leading the nominations are Paris Saint-Germain’s Ousmane Dembele, Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal, and Chelsea’s Cole Palmer.
Dembele, 28, enjoyed a phenomenal campaign, scoring 35 goals and providing 16 assists across all competitions. His exploits helped PSG clinch a historic treble Ligue 1, French Cup, and the UEFA Champions League before narrowly losing the Club World Cup final to Chelsea.
Teen sensation Lamine Yamal, 18, continued his meteoric rise with 18 goals and 25 assists as he played a central role in Barcelona’s La Liga and Copa del Rey double. The Spaniard is also among the favourites for the Kopa Trophy, awarded to the world’s best Under-21 player–an accolade he won last year.
Meanwhile, Cole Palmer’s breakthrough year saw him lead Chelsea to Club World Cup glory in July, earning him the Most Valuable Player award for the tournament. The 22-year-old’s performances throughout the season have propelled him into the Ballon d’Or conversation for the first time.
Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain lead the nominations with nine players shortlisted: Dembele, Gianluigi Donnarumma, Desire Doue, Achraf Hakimi, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Nuno Mendes, Joao Neves, Fabian Ruiz, and Vitinha.
Other notable nominees include:
• Mohamed Salah (Liverpool) – 34 goals, 23 assists, and the Premier League Player of the Season
• Raphinha (Barcelona) – 34 goals, 25 assists
• Erling Haaland (Manchester City) – 34 goals, 5 assists
• Scott McTominay (Napoli) – Named Serie A MVP after guiding Napoli to the title, becoming the first Scotsman in 38 years to be shortlisted for the Ballon d’Or
The full list of nominees includes:
Jude Bellingham, Ousmane Dembele, Gianluigi Donnarumma, Desire Doue, Denzel Dumfries, Serhou Guirassy, Viktor Gyokeres, Erling Haaland, Achraf Hakimi, Harry Kane, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Robert Lewandowski, Alexis Mac Allister, Lautaro Martinez, Kylian Mbappe, Scott McTominay, Nuno Mendes, Joao Neves, Michael Olise, Cole Palmer, Pedri, Raphinha, Declan Rice, Fabian Ruiz, Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk, Vinicius Jr, Vitinha, Florian Wirtz, and Lamine Yamal.
The winner of the 2025 Ballon d’Or will be officially announced at a ceremony scheduled for September 22 in Paris.
