Ballon d’Or 2025: Start time, records and nominees ahead of tonight’s ceremony

The 2025 Ballon d'Or awards ceremony takes place tonight in Paris as the best footballer's on the planet await the verdict.

The 2025 Ballon d'Or awards ceremony will take place at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris on Monday 22 September, beginning at 21:00 CET or 7pm BST.

Paris Saint-Germain star Ousmane Dembele and Barcelona winger Lamine Yamal are the clear favourites to lift the award this year. However, the full list of nominees includes a number of world class talents such as Liverpool's Mohamed Salah and Yamal's teammate Raphinha, who could possibly clinch the award.

Nominees

Here is a list of all nominees in alphabetical order:

Jude Bellingham (England, Real Madrid)

Ousmane Dembélé (France, Paris Saint-Germain)

Gianluigi Donnarumma (Italy, Paris Saint-Germain/Manchester City)

Désiré Doué (France, Paris Saint-Germain)

Denzel Dumfries (Netherlands, Inter)

Serhou Guirassy (Guinea, Borussia Dortmund)

Viktor Gyökeres (Sweden, Sporting CP/Arsenal)

Erling Haaland (Norway, Manchester City)

Achraf Hakimi (Morocco, Paris Saint-Germain)

Harry Kane (England, Bayern)

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (Georgia, Napoli / Paris Saint-Germain)

Robert Lewandowski (Poland, Barcelona)

Alexis Mac Allister (Argentina, Liverpool)

Lautaro Martínez (Argentina, Inter)

Kylian Mbappé (France, Real Madrid)

Scott McTominay (Scotland, Napoli)

Nuno Mendes (Portugal, Paris Saint-Germain)

João Neves (Portugal, Paris Saint-Germain)

Michael Olise (France, Bayern)

Cole Palmer (England, Chelsea)

Pedri (Spain, Barcelona)

Raphinha (Brazil, Barcelona)

Declan Rice (England, Arsenal)

Fabián Ruiz (Spain, Paris Saint-Germain)

Mohamed Salah (Egypt, Liverpool)

Virgil van Dijk (Netherlands, Liverpool)

Vinícius Júnior (Brazil, Real Madrid)

Vitinha (Portugal, Paris Saint-Germain)

Florian Wirtz (Germany, Leverkusen/Liverpool)

Lamine Yamal (Spain, Barcelona)

Records

Lionel Messi currently holds the record for the most Ballon d’Ors, having won eight between 2009 and 2023.

Cristiano Ronaldo is second, having won five between 2007 and 2017.

Players to have won the award more than once include Johan Cruyff (three), Marco van Basten (three), Michel Platini (three), Ronaldo (two), Franz Beckenbauer (two) and Kevin Keegan (two).

If one of Yamal, Salah, Dembele or Raphinha do lift the award it would be their first in their career's in what would be a special moment.

Who has never won it?

It’s inevitable that some top players miss out on the iconic award but the list of those who have missed out is mind-boggling and pays testament to those who do go on to lift it.

Some names include: Thierry Henry, Andres Iniesta, Neymar, Dennis Bergkamp, David Beckham, Neymar, Xavi, Frank Lampard, Franck Ribery, Wayne Rooney, Steven Gerrard and many more.