Marca highlights the favorites for the 2025 Ballon d'Or!

As the Ballon d'Or ceremony approaches, the race for the most prestigious individual award in world football is starting to take shape. France Football magazine has announced that the event will take place on September 22, 2025, in Paris at the Théâtre du Châtelet.

Ballon d'Or 2025: Dembélé or Yamal, who will lift the trophy?

According to the Spanish newspaper Marca, French winger Ousmane Dembélé is among the frontrunners after a sensational season with Paris Saint-Germain. He claimed every possible title with his club, both domestically and in Europe, including the Champions League, the league, the national cup, the Super Cup, and even reached the Club World Cup final.

Individually, Dembélé stood out in remarkable fashion, contributing to 51 goals in total—35 scored and 16 assists. He was also crowned the Champions League’s best player. Next, he’s set to battle Tottenham for the UEFA Super Cup in August.

But the competition is still wide open, especially with the rise of young sensation Lamine Yamal, who played a pivotal role in FC Barcelona’s domestic treble, shone in Europe, and impressed with the Spanish national team. He led his side to the Champions League semi-finals and reached the Nations League final.

It’s worth noting that Manchester City’s Rodrigo Hernández claimed the 2024 Ballon d’Or, in a year marked by controversy after Real Madrid boycotted the ceremony to protest Vinícius Júnior’s omission from the shortlist.

Also read: Ballon d'Or 2025: Guardiola keeps quiet, Konaté backs Dembélé!

Mohamed Rek |

Editorfr, ar, en

Mohamed Rek- sports content writer with over 10 years of experience creating football content in Arabic and French for platforms such as Foot Africa and Starafrica, combining accuracy, creativity, and audience engagement.