On Monday, the top male and female footballers on the planet will officially be honored. The prestigious Ballon d’Or trophies—awarded for last season’s standout performances—will be presented at Paris’ Théâtre du Châtelet.
From the shortlist of 30 names revealed last month, who has the strongest case to claim the prize? We’ve broken down the numbers for six leading candidates in each category, drawing on performance data from the 2024–25 season (men’s figures from all club competitions and women’s from domestic league play).
And now it’s over to you—share your thoughts on who deserves to be recognized as the best of 2025.
Who should win the Men’s Balon Dor?
Ousmane Dembele( Paris St. Germain)
Games played: 53 Minutes played: 3,483 Goals: 35 Assists: 14 Goal contributions: 49 Minutes per goal: 99.5 Minutes per goal contribution: 71.1
Ousmane Dembélé was central to Paris Saint-Germain’s remarkable season, driving them to the Ligue 1 title, securing their maiden Champions League crown, and guiding the club all the way to the Club World Cup final.
In domestic play, he found the net 21 times in just 29 league appearances, finishing as one of the competition’s leading scorers. His outstanding form was further recognized with a place in Ligue 1’s Team of the Season and by being honored as the league’s Player of the Year.
At 28, he earned the title of Champions League Player of the Season, finishing the campaign with eight goals and six assists, two of which came in the emphatic 5–0 final triumph over Inter Milan. He carried that momentum into the Club World Cup, finding the net in both the quarter-final against Bayern Munich and the semi-final clash with Real Madrid.
Harry Kane( Bayern Munich)
Games played: 51 Minutes played: 3,955 Goals: 41 Assists: 12 Goal contributions: 53 Minutes per goal: 96.5 Minutes per goal contribution: 74.6
England’s all-time leading scorer finally lifted the first major trophy of his career after helping Bayern Munich secure the Bundesliga crown. At 32, he finished the season as the league’s top marksman with 26 goals, a tally that included three hat-tricks.
He enjoyed a remarkable scoring streak in September, finding the net 10 times in just 11 days. It began on 10 September with a brace for England against Finland in the Nations League. Three days later, he struck a treble in Bayern’s 6–1 demolition of Holsten Kiel in the Bundesliga. On 17 September, he produced an incredible four-goal performance in a 9–2 Champions League rout of Dinamo Zagreb, before adding another goal on 21 September in a 5–0 league victory over Werder Bremen.
Raphinha( Barcelona)
Games played: 57 Minutes played: 4,661 Goals: 34 Assists: 22 Goal contributions: 56 Minutes per goal: 137.1 Minutes per goal contribution: 83.2
Raphinha played a decisive role in Barcelona’s success during the 2024–25 campaign, guiding the club to a domestic treble that included La Liga, the Copa del Rey, and the Spanish Super Cup.
The Brazilian winger, now 28, delivered 18 goals and nine assists in the league, performances that earned him the honor of being named La Liga’s best player of the season. Since joining Barça from Leeds United in 2022, he has steadily grown into a star, and this year he also shone on the European stage. Raphinha shared the Champions League golden boot after scoring 13 goals in just 14 appearances, highlighted by a dazzling hat-trick in a 4–1 triumph over Bayern Munich.
Mohammed Salah( Liverpool)
Games played: 52 Minutes played: 4,497 Goals: 34 Assists: 23 Goal contributions: 57 Minutes per goal: 132.3 Minutes per goal contribution: 78.9
Mohamed Salah was central to Liverpool’s charge to their 20th English league crown. The Egyptian forward racked up 29 goals and 18 assists, contributing to 47 Premier League strikes overall—matching the record for most goal involvements in a 38-match campaign.
His scoring exploits earned him the Golden Boot once again, the fourth of his career, equaling the benchmark set by Arsenal icon Thierry Henry. At 33, Salah was also honored as the Premier League’s Player of the Year for the second time.
In Europe, he added three goals in the Champions League, though Liverpool’s run ended in the round of 16 at the hands of eventual winners Paris Saint-Germain.
Kylian Mbappe( Real Madrid)
Games played: 59 Minutes played: 4,742 Goals: 44 Assists: 5 Goal contributions: 49 Minutes per goal:107.7 Minutes per goal contribution: 96.8
In his debut campaign in Spain, the French striker finished as La Liga’s leading scorer, hitting 31 goals—four more than Barcelona’s Robert Lewandowski. Across 34 league appearances, he notched multiple hat-tricks, including ones against Valladolid and Barcelona. His scoring flair extended to Europe as well, where a three-goal burst knocked Manchester City out in the Champions League play-off stage.
At 26, he also reached a historic milestone on the international stage, becoming just the third player ever to score 50 goals for France—a landmark he achieved in June while guiding the national team to a third-place finish in the Nations League.
Notable nominees outside the frontrunners
Scott McTominay, once of Manchester United, makes history as the first Scottish player to be shortlisted since Ally McCoist back in 1987. The 28-year-old enjoyed a dream start to life in Italy, helping Napoli clinch the Serie A title in his very first season after a £25 million switch from Old Trafford.
From Arsenal, both Declan Rice and Viktor Gyökeres feature on the list, while Liverpool are strongly represented with four players—Virgil van Dijk, Alexis Mac Allister, Mohamed Salah, and Florian Wirtz—all earning nominations. Chelsea’s Cole Palmer joins them as the only other Premier League-based player to be recognized.
Who should win the Women’s Balon Dor?
Aitana Bonmati( Barcelona)
Games played: 26 Minutes played: 1,913 Goals: 12 Assists: 6 Goal contributions: 18 Minutes per goal: 159 Minutes per goal contribution: 106
Aitana Bonmatí has the chance to make history once again. Alongside another Barcelona and Spain teammate, she could collect a third Ballon d’Or, but uniquely, she stands as the only contender capable of winning it three years in succession.
Her reputation as one of the finest footballers on the planet is already secure, and another win would hardly come as a shock. Still, her chances may be affected by missing out on two other major honors this year.
There were genuine concerns about whether she would even feature at the European Championship after a hospital stay for meningitis just days before the tournament began. Yet she recovered in time to make a significant impact, even netting the decisive goal in Spain’s semi-final victory.
That said, Bonmatí did not dominate the later knockout rounds, as other teammates grabbed the headlines, and Spain ultimately fell short with England lifting the trophy in the final.
Alessia Russo( Arsenal)
Games played: 21 Minutes played: 1,686 Goals: 12 Assists: 2 Goal contributions: 14 Minutes per goal: 141 Minutes per goal contribution: 120.
Champions League winner and Euro 2025 winner… it has been quite a year for the Arsenal striker.
She scored in the final of the Euros and found her groove for her club, playing a crucial role throughout the season in front of goal and with her work off the ball.
The 26-year-old was named the Football Writers’ Association’s women’s footballer of the year for last season for good reason.
She was the Women’s Super League’s joint-top scorer, sharing the Golden Boot with Khadija Shaw.
Alexia Putellas( Barcelona)
Games played: 24 Minutes played: 1,620 Goals: 16 Assists: 11 Goal contributions: 27 Minutes per goal: 101 Minutes per goal contribution: 60
Alexia Putellas remains firmly in contention for a third Ballon d’Or, even if the past season hasn’t been flawless. While Barcelona fell short in the Champions League and Spain suffered defeat to England in the Euro 2025 final, her individual form has consistently stood out.
In league and domestic competitions, she registered 16 goals and 11 assists, helping Barcelona secure yet another league crown and complete a domestic treble. Already a two-time winner in consecutive years (2021 and 2022), Putellas has every reason to believe she could reclaim the award once more.
Claudia Pina( Barcelona )
Games played: 27 Minutes played: 1,557 Goals: 10 Assists: 7 Goal contributions: 17 Minutes per goal: 156 Minutes per goal contribution: 92
She did not win the Champions League, but she was the competition’s top scorer. She netted 24 in total for her club and six for Spain.
The 24-year-old is a versatile player who is comfortable both as a midfielder and a forward.
She regularly makes the difference for club and country and was missed by Spain in the Euros final. Pina is among the favourites for the award.
Lucy Bronze( Chelsea)
Games played: 19 Minutes played: 1,491 Goals: 2 Assists: 3 Goal contributions: 5 Minutes per goal: 746 Minutes per goal contribution: 298
Lucy Bronze battled through a fractured tibia to help England capture the Euro 2025 crown, adding to a remarkable season in which she also lifted the Women’s Super League, FA Cup, and League Cup.
In her debut campaign with Chelsea, the experienced full-back celebrated a domestic treble and her fourth WSL title overall. Despite carrying an injury, the 33-year-old logged the fourth-most minutes of any Lioness at the Euros and coolly converted a crucial penalty in the quarter-final against Sweden.
While defenders are often overlooked when it comes to individual honors compared with prolific forwards, Bronze’s achievements over the past year make her case hard to ignore.
Mariona Caldentey( Arsenal)
Games played: 21 Minutes played: 1,774 Goals: 9 Assists: 5 Goal contributions: 14 Minutes per goal: 197 Minutes per goal contribution: 127
Mariona Caldentey joined Arsenal last summer and helped deliver the biggest prize in the team’s history – the Champions League.
She hit the ground running and added a creative nous and cutting edge to an already strong frontline.
She performed so well since making the move from Barcelona that she was named the WSL’s player of the year.
The Spaniard netted in the Euro 2025 final, albeit in a losing cause.
Other Notable Nominees
Alongside Russo and Bronze, three more members of England’s Euro 2025–winning side have been shortlisted. Chelsea goalkeeper Hannah Hampton earns recognition after a standout tournament between the posts, combined with a treble-winning season at club level.
Chloe Kelly, who held her nerve to bury the decisive penalty in the final shootout victory over Spain, also makes the list. Completing England’s quintet of nominees is captain Leah Williamson, whose leadership and consistency have been central to the Lionesses’ success.
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