In a couple of hours from now, at 9 pm local time in France (12:30 am IST), the winner of Ballon d'Or awards 2025 will be announced in both men's and women's category. As of now, there are 30 players in the men's section who have been named in the nomination list. As is the norm every year, the countdown to the winner announcement starts with the rankings of players who will be ranked from 30 to 1.
No.30 - Michael Olise
The mega talent from France and Bayern Munich has been ranked at 30 amongst the Ballon d'Or nominees. Olise had a terrific 2024-25 in the Bundesliga where he scored 12 goals and had 15 assists from 34 appearances. In the Champions League, he scored five times and had two assists.
No. 29 - Florian Wirtz
Currently with England's Premier League champions Liverpool, Florian Wirtz's 2024-25 season was with Bayer Leverkusen where he was one of the lone bright spots for his side. Wirtz scored 10 goals and had 13 assists from 31 games in the Bundesliga. He also had a prolific Champions League where he tallied six goals and an assist from nine games.
No. 28 - Virgil van Dijk
Liverpool's backbone in every sense, Virgil van Dijk played a critical part in their 2024-25 English Premier League title. While he was exceptional leading the backline, van Dijk still ended up making four goal contributions, scoring thrice and assisting once. This is, of course, a bonus to his exemplary work as the head of Liverpool's defence.
No. 27 - Declan Rice
A massively influential figure in Arsenal's midfield and defensive stability, Decline Rice was a pillar in his side's all-round potency, maintaining a strong balance between attack and defence. Rice netted four goals and had seven assists in the Premier League. He also enjoyed a fine Champions League campaign with four goals and two assists.
No. 26 - Erling Haaland
The goal machine from Norway had a great year both for his country and club Manchester City. Many felt that he was slightly below-par last season but Haaland still netted 22 goals and had three assists from 31 EPL games. He also had eight Champions League goals from nine games.
No. 25 - Denzel Dumfries
Absolute rock for Netherlands and Inter Milan, Dumfries had a strong 2024-25 season. During Inter's title-winning campaign, Dumfries had seven goals and three assists from 29 games. He also had two goals and an assist from 12 Champions League games. Apart from attacking contributions, Dumfries was crucial to Inter's defensive stability.
No. 24 - Fabian Ruiz
Amongst PSG's array of stars, Fabian Ruiz often goes under the radar but trust him to come up clutch in decisive moments. The Spaniard orchestrated his club's midfield with aplomb, while also netting four goals and having five assists from 30 Ligue 1 games. In the Champions League, he had only one goal and provided four assists but his workrate was phenomenal in PSG's title-winning campaign.
No. 23 - Jude Bellingham
Compared to 2023-24, Jude Bellingham had a relatively quieter 2024-25 season but he still had a solid impact for England and Real Madrid. The Englishman had nine goals and as many assists from 31 La Liga games. In the Champions League, he scored three goals and provided three assists from 13 fixtures.
No. 22 - Alexis Mac Allister
Another Liverpool man who had a great season, Alexis Mac Allister was the heartbeat of the side due to his seamless transitions between attack and defence. His tenacity was critical to the Reds's victorious Premier League campaign. Mac Allister had five goals and as many assists from 35 Premier League games. In the Champions League, he scored twice and overall, he was a significant part of Liverpool's successes.
No. 21 - Serhou Guirassy
The transition from Stuttgart to Dortmund hardly affected Serhou Guirassy who had a prolific 2024-25 season. He had 21 goals and four assists from 30 Bundesliga games while in the Champions League, he was even better, netting 13 times and providing five assists from 14 games.
No. 20 - Lautero Martinez
Inter Milan's captain and Argentina striker Lautero Martinez had a hugely successful season with his club while also being decent for his national side. During Inter's title-winning campaign, Martinez struck 12 goals and provided five assists from 31 games. He had an even better Champions League season, netting nine times and providing two assists from 14 games.
Where to watch?
In India, the Ballon d'Or awards will be telecast on Sony Sports Network and the Sony LIV app. You can also stream it on the official Ballon d'Or website.