The 30-man shortlist for the 2025 Ballon d’Or has been officially unveiled, showcasing a mix of football’s biggest stars and emerging talents who delivered exceptional performances over the past year.
Headlining the list are England’s Jude Bellingham, France’s Kylian Mbappé, Norway’s Erling Haaland, Brazil’s Vinicius Jr., and England captain Harry Kane — all of whom were instrumental for their clubs and national teams during the season.
Veteran figures like Mohamed Salah, Robert Lewandowski, and Virgil van Dijk return to the elite list, while breakout stars such as Spain’s Lamine Yamal, Portugal’s Joao Neves, and England’s Cole Palmer make their Ballon d’Or shortlist debuts.
The prestigious award, organized by France Football, celebrates the best male footballer in the world based on performances across club and international competitions.
Also included are standout names like Achraf Hakimi, Alexis Mac Allister, Florian Wirtz, Declan Rice, and Pedri — all of whom made strong cases during the year with dominant displays.
The winner of the 2025 Ballon d’Or will be revealed at the annual gala ceremony later this year.
Full List of 2025 Ballon d’Or Nominees:
- Jude Bellingham
- Ousmane Dembélé
- Gianluigi Donnarumma
- Désiré Doué
- Denzel Dumfries
- Serhou Guirassy
- Viktor Gyökeres
- Erling Haaland
- Achraf Hakimi
- Harry Kane
- Khvicha Kvaratskhelia
- Robert Lewandowski
- Alexis Mac Allister
- Lautaro Martinez
- Kylian Mbappé
- 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
- Lamine Yamal
