Dembélé, Kane, Mbappé headline shortlist for Ballon d’Or

AP:

Last year’s winner Ousmane Dembélé, Harry Kane and Kylian Mbappé are among the leading contenders for the men’s Ballon d’Or.

The 30 men’s and 30 women’s nominees were unveiled by France Football magazine yesterday, with the winners to be announced at a ceremony in London on October 26.

In the women’s field, two-time winner Alexia Putellas, Ewa Pajor and Melchie Dumornay are among the favourites. Aitana Bonmatí, winner of the past three awards, failed to make the shortlist after missing most of the season through injury. She returned late in Barcelona’s quadruple-winning campaign, which included another UEFA Champions League title.

Dembélé and Mbappé both represented France at the World Cup, where Les Bleus lost to eventual champions Spain in the semi-finals. Although it is difficult to win the accolade without claiming a major trophy, Mbappé made history when he surpassed Lionel Messi for the most World Cup goals, with 22, achieving the feat in fewer matches.

After helping Paris Saint-Germain secure a second consecutive Champions League crown, Dembélé has a chance to retain the Ballon d’Or.

Kane enjoyed one of the finest seasons of his career, scoring 73 goals for club and country and winning the Bundesliga title with Bayern Munich. He also helped England finish third at the World Cup.

Spain captain Rodri, who won the award in 2024 and played a pivotal role in midfield as Spain captured a second World Cup title, was also included.

The 39-year-old Messi, who holds a record eight Ballon d’Or awards, made the shortlist after guiding Argentina to a runner-up finish at the World Cup and helping Inter Miami win Major League Soccer. The other active Ballon d’Or winners, Karim Benzema, Cristiano Ronaldo and Luka Modric, were omitted.

PSG dominates

Dembélé was one of nine PSG players nominated for the men’s award, with newly acquired Ferran Torres making it 10. The others are Achraf Hakimi, Marquinhos, Nuno Mendes, Willian Pacho, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Joao Neves, Fabian Ruiz and Vitinha. Torres scored Spain’s winning goal in the World Cup final.

In an interview with France Football, Dembélé said he expects the award to remain at PSG. Asked to name his top three candidates, in no particular order, he selected PSG teammate Kvaratskhelia, Kane and Mbappé. He also mentioned Michael Olise, Lamine Yamal, Ruiz and Pacho, but did not include himself.

“I don’t think the trophy is undecided. I think it will remain in the hands of a Paris Saint-Germain player,” he said.

Other nominees include Real Madrid stars Vinicius Junior and Jude Bellingham, as well as a Manchester City striker.

Italy, which did not qualify for the World Cup, had no representatives, while neither the Netherlands nor Germany produced a nominee. Lautaro Martínez of Inter Milan was the only Serie A player selected.

No goalkeeper was nominated, ensuring that Lev Yashin remains the only goalkeeper to have won the coveted award, in 1963, for at least another year.

The Ballon d’Or ceremony is moving from its traditional home in Paris to London this year to mark the 70th anniversary of the inaugural award won by England great Stanley Matthews.

The voting system

The Ballon d’Or was created by France Football and has been awarded since 1956 for men and since 2018 for women. It is voted on by journalists from the top 100 countries in the FIFA rankings for the men’s award and the top 50 FIFA-ranked countries for the women’s prize.

Each journalist, one per country, ranks players in order, with points awarded based on position. The player accumulating the most points is declared the winner.

Organisers say the award is based on three criteria, listed in order of importance: individual performances and decisive, impressive character; collective performances and titles won; and class and fair play. The assessment period runs from August 3, 2025, to July 19, the day of this year’s World Cup final.