The nominations for the Ballon d’Or are out, and there are plenty of French players being recognised for their performances in the past year.
In total, four France internationals on the men’s side are in the running for the Ballon d’Or, which is twice as many as they had on the ballot last year.
They, along with England, are the most well-represented nominees on the shortlist of 30, with the Three Lions boasting Jude Bellingham (22), Harry Kane (32), Declan Rice (26) and Cole Palmer (23).
Here’s a breakdown of the French players who are in the running for the Ballon d’Or award and in which respective categories. The winners will be revealed in Paris on September 22.
Men’s Ballon d’Or
Of the four nominees that the French boast in this category, the leading candidate is likely Ousmane Dembélé (28), who was the Ligue 1 Player of the Year this past season and joint top-goalscorer (21 goals). He was an integral part of Paris Saint-Germain as they captured the UEFA Champions League title for the first time.
Also in the mix is Desiré Doué (20), who netted six times for PSG in Ligue 1 last season and had a brace and an assist in their 5-0 smashing of Inter in the Champions League final.
PSG’s record goalscorer Kylian Mbappé (26) is on the list as well, with the French captain capturing the European Golden Shoe in his first season at Real Madrid, while being named their Player of the Season.
Rounding out the French nominees is Michael Olise (23), who played an integral part in Bayern Munich’s Bundesliga title-winning campaign with 12 goals, while he was among the best at take-ons last season.
Several other players that feature in France are on that list, such as Gianluigi Donnarumma (26), Achraf Hakimi (26), Fabian Ruiz (29), Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (24), Joao Neves (20), Nuno Mendes (23) and Vitinha (25).
No French player has won this award since Karim Benzema (37) at Real Madrid in 2022.
Women’s Ballon d’Or
On the women’s side, two French players have a chance to claim the Ballon d’Or. Sandy Baltimore (25) scored four times in 15 Women’s Super League (WSL) appearances for Chelsea en route to them claiming another title.
She also netted five times for Les Bleues at the previous UEFA Nations League tournament and had the winner in their 2-1 upset victory over future champions England at the Euros this summer.
Clara Mateo (27) was also nominated after leading Paris FC to the Coupe de France Féminine last season and was named to the Première Ligue Team of the Season.
Lindsey Heaps (31) at Olympique Lyonnais Féminin is also a nominee, scoring 11 times in 12 league appearances for them last season.
Men’s Kopa Trophy
In this category, there are two Frenchmen on the ballot. Doué may stand the best chance of winning this award given his performances at such a young age, although Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal (18) will be the overwhelming favourite in this category.
Lille OSC’s Ayyoud Bouaddi (17) was also recognised as one of the best young men’s players, making 24 club appearances. Doué’s PSG teammate, João Neves, is also on the list with three goals in 29 Ligue 1 appearances a season ago.
Men’s Yashin Trophy
Lucas Chevalier (23) was rewarded for his strong season at Lille, where he was named the Ligue 1 Goalkeeper of the Year, and he’s among the top 10 players nominated for top goalkeeper. He had 11 clean sheets in the previous top-flight campaign.
Unsurprisingly, Donnarumma is also on the list, after a splendid Champions League campaign where he was among the heroes, particularly in their come-from-behind victory over Liverpool in the round of 16.
Men’s Coach of the Year
While no Frenchman was nominated in this category, the man who guided PSG to European glory stands a good chance of winning this award.
Luis Enrique was instrumental in their success last season, as they won their first-ever continental treble, winning the league, the Champions League and the Coupe de France.
Women’s Coach of the Year
Former French international Sonia Bompastor is a deserving nominee for the Women’s Coach of the Year. In her first season in charge of Chelsea, she stepped into the shoes of legendary coach Emma Hayes and kept them winning.
Under Bompastor, the Chelsea women won another WSL crown and went undefeated along the way.
Men’s Team of the Year
With all the trophies they collected last season, it’s no surprise that PSG were on this list of five, winning the Trophée des Champions, along with the Champions League and Ligue 1 crowns.
They were also finalists at the Club World Cup, the first French side to compete in that tournament.
Women’s Team of the Year
While they failed to claim any European silverware, the Lyon women still had another strong 2024-25 campaign and are one of five teams on the shortlist for this award.
They won a record 18th domestic title last season in the league and made the semi-finals of the Champions League, winning all but one match along the way.
GFFN | Joel Lefevre
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