France Football have made public the date for the announcement of the nominees for the 2025 Ballon d’Or award. This year’s award is expected to be one of the most keenly contested, with several players having proved themselves as legitimate contenders over the course of the 2024-25 season.
In an announcement via their official X account, France Football have announced that the list of nominees will be revealed on August 7th. This list is expected to include 30 players before it gets whittled down to select the winner on September 22nd, just over a month from when the nominees are revealed.
Last year, Manchester City star Rodri beat Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jr to the award, sparking controversy in the football world. The Spaniard is unlikely to be among the nominees this year as he missed nearly the entirety of the season with an ACL injury, making just four appearances for the Cityzens.
This year’s Ballon d’Or is expected to be between Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) players after both teams proved themselves as some of Europe’s best. The French giants won the treble, including a first-ever UEFA Champions League title, while Barcelona won the league, cup, and Super Cup treble in Spain.
Amongst the names expected to feature on the shortlist on August 7th are Ousmane Dembele, Lamine Yamal, Raphinha, and several others. The likes of Mohamed Salah, Kylian Mbappe, Robert Lewandowski and a host of others are also expected to be nominated after fine individual seasons for their respective clubs.
New Real Madrid star Trent Alexander-Arnold has cast doubts on his chances of winning the Ballon d’Or in his time at the club. The Englishman completed his switch to the Spanish giants, leaving boyhood club Liverpool after spending 20 years there.
Alexander-Arnold spoke at his unveiling as a Real Madrid player, pointing out that winning the Ballon d’Or will be hard for him, with the quality of players on the team. He expressed his delight at the fact that they have become his teammates and he would not have to face them any longer.
Trent Alexander-Arnold joins Los Blancos as a free agent and will take the number 12 shirt previously worn by Marcelo. Regarded as one of the world’s best full-backs, the England international will debut for the club at the FIFA Club World Cup this month.
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