The world’s top male and female footballers will be crowned this Monday at the prestigious Ballon d’Or ceremony in Paris.
Held at the Théâtre du Châtelet, the event will reveal the winners of the men’s and women’s Ballon d’Or awards, recognising the best performers from the 2024–25 season.
With 30 nominees announced last month, anticipation is building over who will take home football’s most coveted individual honours.
According to BBC Sports, it analysed how six of the key contenders for each prize performed last season, using statistics from 2024-25 – across all club competitions for the men and all league matches for the women.
- Ousmane Dembele has thrived in two seasons at Paris St-Germain after six years at Barcelona
Games played: 53 Minutes played: 3,483 Goals: 35 Assists: 14 Goal contributions: 49 Minutes per goal: 99.5 Minutes per goal contribution: 71.1
Ousmane Dembele played a key role in helping Paris St-Germain win Ligue 1, become European champions for the first time, and reach the final of the Club World Cup.
He scored 21 goals from 29 games in Ligue 1 to end the campaign as joint-top scorer. He was also named in the division’s team of the season and won the player of the year award.
The 28-year-old was also the Champions League’s player of the season after eight goals and six assists in the tournament, including two assists in the 5-0 final win against Inter Milan.
Dembele then scored in the Club World Cup quarterfinal and semifinal victories over Bayern Munich and Real Madrid, respectively.
- Harry Kane (Bayern Munich)
Harry Kane has scored 85 goals in 96 games for Bayern Munich since his £86m move from Tottenham in August 2023.
Games played: 51 Minutes played: 3,955 Goals: 41 Assists: 12 Goal contributions: 53 Minutes per goal: 96.5 Minutes per goal contribution: 74.6
England’s record goalscorer claimed the first major trophy of his career when he inspired Bayern Munich to the Bundesliga title.
The 32-year-old netted 26 league goals to top the Bundesliga scoring charts, including three hat-tricks.
In September, he scored 10 goals in 11 days, starting with two for England against Finland in the Nations League on 10 September.
He got three more in Bayern’s 6-1 league victory on Holsten Kiel three days later, scored four in Bayern’s 9-2 Champions League thrashing of Dinamo Zagreb on 17 September, and one in his club’s 5-0 win at Werder Bremen on 21 September.
- Kylian Mbappe (Real Madrid)
Kylian Mbappe joined Real Madrid from Paris St-Germain on a free transfer when his contract with the Ligue 1 side expired.
Games played: 59 Minutes played: 4,742 Goals: 44 Assists: 5 Goal contributions: 49 Minutes per goal: 107.7 Minutes per goal contribution: 96.8
The French forward ended his first season in Spain as the top goalscorer in La Liga, his tally of 31 goals being four better than Barcelona’s Robert Lewandowski.
Mbappe’s total came from 34 matches and included hat-tricks against Valladolid and Barcelona. He also scored a treble to eliminate Manchester City in the Champions League knockout play-off round.
The 26-year-old became only the third player to score 50 goals for France, a figure he reached in June when he helped his country finish third in the Nations League.
- Raphinha (Barcelona)
Raphinha joined Barcelona from Leeds United in a deal worth up to £55m in July 2022.
Games played: 57 Minutes played: 4,661 Goals: 34 Assists: 22 Goal contributions: 56 Minutes per goal: 137.1 Minutes per goal contribution: 83.2
Raphinha helped Barcelona win three trophies in 2024-25 – La Liga, the Copa del Rey, and the Supercopa de España.
His 18 goals and nine assists earned him La Liga’s player of the season award.
The 28-year-old Brazil forward, who moved to Barcelona from Leeds United in 2022, also ended as the joint-top scorer in the Champions League, finding the net 13 times in 14 games, including a hat-trick in a 4-1 win over Bayern Munich.
- Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)
Mohamed Salah won the Premier League player of the season award again, having also done so in 2017-18.
Games played: 52 Minutes played: 4,497 Goals: 34 Assists: 23 Goal contributions: 57 Minutes per goal: 132.3 Minutes per goal contribution: 78.9
Mohamed Salah played a huge role in helping Liverpool become English champions for the 20th time.
His 29 goals and 18 assists gave him a total of 47 Premier League goal involvements, tying the record for the most in a 38-game season.
His goals tally also secured him the Golden Boot – the fourth time he has won it, a record shared with Arsenal legend Thierry Henry. The 33-year-old was also named the Premier League’s player of the year for a second time.
The Egyptian forward scored three times in the Champions League before Liverpool lost to eventual winners Paris St-Germain in the last 16.
- Lamine Yamal (Barcelona)
Lamine Yamal has already played 20 times for Spain at the age of 18.
Games played: 55 Minutes played: 4,548 Goals: 18 Assists: 21 Goal contributions: 39 Minutes per goal: 252.7 Minutes per goal contribution: 116.6
The 18-year-old winger helped Barcelona to the Spanish treble of La Liga, the Copa del Rey, and the Supercopa de España.
He won La Liga’s player of the month award in September and was in the La Liga and Champions League teams of the season.
He scored twice for Spain in their 5-4 win over France in the Nations League semi-final, although the side lost on penalties in the final to Portugal.
Female category
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- Aitana Bonmati (Barcelona)
Aitana Bonmati has won the past two Ballon d’Or awards.
Games played: 26 Minutes played: 1,913 Goals: 12 Assists: 6 Goal contributions: 18 Minutes per goal: 159 Minutes per goal contribution: 106
One of two Barcelona and Spain players who could lift the Ballon d’Or for the third time, but the only one who could do it in three successive years.
Aitana Bonmati is undeniably one of the world’s best players, and it would not be a surprise if she won again – although missing out on two major accolades might not help her cause.
There were doubts about her ability to play in the Euros when she was hospitalised with meningitis just days before it began, but she played a typically important role for Spain, including scoring the winner in their semi-final.
She was not, however, the brightest light in the knockout stage as others stole the show and England won the final.
- Alessia Russo (Arsenal)
Alessia Russo was the 2024-25 Football Writers’ Association women’s player of the year.
Games played: 21 Minutes played: 1,686 Goals: 12 Assists: 2 Goal contributions: 14 Minutes per goal: 141 Minutes per goal contribution: 120
Champions League winner and Euro 2025 winner… it has been quite a year for the Arsenal striker.
She scored in the final of the Euros and found her groove for her club, playing a crucial role throughout the season in front of goal and with her work off the ball.
The 26-year-old was named the Football Writers’ Association’s women’s footballer of the year for last season for good reason.
She was the Women’s Super League’s joint-top scorer, sharing the Golden Boot with Khadija Shaw.
- Alexia Putellas (Barcelona)
Alexia Putellas has won the Ballon d’Or twice before.
Games played: 24 Minutes played: 1,620 Goals: 16 Assists: 11 Goal contributions: 27 Minutes per goal: 101 Minutes per goal contribution: 60
Alexia Putellas is in the running for a third Ballon d’Or, and it’s clear why she is a strong contender even in a year that has not gone entirely to plan.
Barcelona missed out on the Champions League, and Spain were beaten by England in the Euro 2025 final, but Putellas has still performed at a very high standard.
She provided 16 goals and 11 assists as Barcelona once again won Spain’s top flight and secured a domestic treble.
Having already won it back-to-back in 2021 and 2022, she is a strong contender to do it again.
- Claudia Pina (Barcelona)
Claudia Pina won a domestic treble with Barcelona in 2024-25.
Games played: 27 Minutes played: 1,557 Goals: 10 Assists: 7 Goal contributions: 17 Minutes per goal: 156 Minutes per goal contribution: 92
She did not win the Champions League, but she was the competition’s top scorer. She netted 24 in total for her club and six for Spain.
The 24-year-old is a versatile player who is comfortable both as a midfielder and a forward.
She regularly makes a difference for club and country and was missed by Spain in the Euros final. Pina is among the favourites for the award.
- Lucy Bronze (Chelsea)
Lucy Bronze was Ballon d’Or runner-up in 2019.
Games played: 19 Minutes played: 1,491 Goals: 2 Assists: 3 Goal contributions: 5 Minutes per goal: 746 Minutes per goal contribution: 298
Lucy Bronze played through the pain of a fractured tibia as she won Euro 2025, on the back of clinching the Women’s Super League, FA Cup, and League Cup.
The full-back secured her fourth WSL title as part of a domestic treble in her first season with Chelsea.
The 33-year-old played the fourth-highest number of minutes for the Lionesses in the Euros despite her injury, and scored an emphatic penalty in the quarter-final against Sweden.
A defender lifting the trophy is never as likely as a forward, but Bronze has had a spectacular year.
- Mariona Caldentey (Arsenal)
Mariona Caldentey won the Champions League in her debut season with Arsenal.
Games played: 21 Minutes played: 1,774 Goals: 9 Assists: 5 Goal contributions: 14 Minutes per goal: 197 Minutes per goal contribution: 127
Mariona Caldentey joined Arsenal last summer and helped deliver the biggest prize in the team’s history – the Champions League.
She hit the ground running and added a creative nous and cutting edge to an already strong frontline.
She performed so well since making the move from Barcelona that she was named the WSL’s player of the year.
The Spaniard netted in the Euro 2025 final, albeit in a losing cause.
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